Amid the Omicron threat in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has started night vaccination for eligible citizens, from Monday.
The initiative is being undertaken to improve the vaccination pace in the city and especially to increase the uptake of the second dose.
The BMC will have a mobile team or vaccination centre operational in all wards across the city from 6 pm to 10 pm. All wards will have at least one night vaccination centre, officials said.
They will primarily be set up in crowded places like railway stations, slums, etc and in areas where a large number of people are unvaccinated.
In addition this, a special immunisation session will be organised in the area where where vaccination rates are low.
Amid a surge of Omicron cases in the city, the BMC has directed all ward officers to closely monitor the situation in their respective wards until January 15.
This comes after the city witnessed 12 Omicron cases, of which most of them are asymptomatic and have been discharged. Civic officials said there will be a rise in international travellers in the coming days and consequent gatherings which will need to be monitored closely.
The state Task Force has advised the government to strictly screen inbound travellers, reinforce Covid-appropriate behaviour with emphasis on wearing N95 or double masks, focus on vaccination and check the preparedness of the state’s health infrastructure.
Meanwhil, Maharashtra on Wednesday reported 925 new coronavirus positive cases, four of which were of Omicron variant infection, and 10 fresh fatalities, the health department said.
With this, the statewide caseload rose to 66,46,061, while the death toll increased to 1,41,298, it said in a health bulletin.
On Tuesday, the state had reported 684 new COVID-19 cases and 24 fatalities.
