Navi Mumbai, July 9: In preparation for the possible third wave of COVID, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) conducted a special vaccination drive for rickshaws and taxi drivers at Nerul and Vashi. During the drive, a total of 583 drivers including 5 women drivers were administered COCID vaccines. Earlier, the civic body had conducted similar drive staffs at the chemist shops, barbershops, and red-light area.
According to the civic Health Department, the special vaccination drive was conducted at Maa Saheb Matai Thackeray Hospital in Nerul and Rajmata Jijau Hospital Airoli where 355 and 288 including 5 women drivers turned out. “A large number of people in contact of taxi and autorickshaw drovers and there is a chance of spread of the infection,” said a senior civic official. He added that the civic body is taking care that no social factor is neglected and deprived of vaccines. Even vaccination drive is being carried out in quarry area, red light area as well as homeless people on the roads.
Under the NMMC area, so far, a total of 5,78,538 citizens have been vaccinated till July 07 and 1,40,162 citizens have taken the second dose of covid vaccine. “It means that a total of 7,18,700 doses of the covid vaccine have been given,” said the official.
Meanwhile, NMMC has increased the number of vaccination centers to 78 so that the maximum number of citizens can be vaccinated near their homes as per the availability of vaccines and at present 111 centers have been fully planned. “A day before, information on which doses of vaccine will be available at which centers is being widely disseminated through social media like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp and tokens are being distributed by announcing the number of vaccines available at the centers before vaccination starts. Tokens are being distributed to persons with disabilities and citizens above 70 years of age without queuing,” added the official.
