Only 16 per cent beneficiaries out of the targeted healthcare and frontline workers turned up for Covid-19 vaccination in Chandigarh on Thursday.
The overall Covid-19 vaccination coverage stands at just 37 per cent in the city while the coverage of healthcare workers stands at 36 per cent. Chandigarh remains in the list of worst performing states /UTs in Covid-19 vaccination coverage by Union Health Ministry.
On Thursday, only 471 beneficiaries against the target of 2792 had turned up at various sites to get a shot of vaccination in the city. 244 healthcare workers against the target of 1709 and 227 frontline workers against the target of 1083 were inoculated on Thursday.
Till now, only 6254 healthcare workers against the target of 17339 and 1232 frontline workers against the target of 2788 have been inoculated. Overall 7486 HCWs and FLWs have been vaccinated against the target of 20127 since the launch of vaccination drive in the city.
Only a day before, Punjab Governor and UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore had expressed concern over poor COVID-19 vaccination coverage in the union territory. Speaking at the Administrator’s Advisory Council meeting, Badnore had urged the members to support in spreading the correct message in this regard and address unfounded apprehensions in the minds of certain people regarding the vaccination.
Notably, the first phase of the Covid-19 vaccination drive began on January 16. The second phase of vaccination drive for frontline workers which include the police personnel, Municipal Corporation Employees, Revenue officials, Paramilitary forces etc had begun on Feb 3 in the city.
One death, 13 fresh COVID-19 cases reported
One more person succumbed to COVID-19 as 13 fresh positive cases surfaced in Chandigarh on Thursday. The total case tally stood at 21184 while the death toll has reached 344 in the city, according to the Chandigarh Health Department’s evening bulletin.