Sunday slots draw people to Covid-19 jab centres

On Saturday, 80,797 people were vaccinated till 6pm as against 52,408 on Friday and 71,284 on Thursday, government data showed.

Over 59,000 people turned up to take Covid-19 vaccine shots on April 4 (till 6 pm), the first Sunday when jabs were administered in the city, as the expanded vaccination drive and the Centre’s orders to states to keep sites open on all days, helped push up the Capital’s inoculations. Several residents said the weekend was a more suitable time to take the doses than working days.

A resident receiving a Covid-19 vaccine dose.

Of the 59,125 jabs administered on Sunday, 56,074 were first doses, said provisional data released by the Delhi government. The vaccination drive was opened up for all individuals aged above 45 on April 1, after which vaccination numbers in the Capital increased consistently.

On Saturday, 80,797 people were vaccinated till 6pm as against 52,408 on Friday and 71,284 on Thursday, government data showed.

Sunday got off to a good start, with several sites in the city pre-booked between 9am and 3pm. During a spot check on Sunday, HT spoke to multiple employees of different private companies, businesspersons, and industrial workers, among others, who said they came to get the vaccine after booking slots for Sunday in advance.

The Capital currently has 739 vaccination centres that operate from 9am to 9pm. Between 9am and 3pm, people who book slots in advance through portals such as Aarogya Setu are given preference. Vaccination sites keep around 100 slots reserved for these six hours. After 3pm, all sites open up for on-the-spot registrations and vaccinations.

“The work schedule is hectic during this time of the year, and it is nearly impossible to think of taking the vaccine on a working day. And what if it leads to a mild fever for a day? Keeping the drive open on Sundays is a major relief,” said Akash Mishra, an accounts manager with an audit company based in Delhi, who took the vaccine at a site in east Delhi’s Mayur Vihar 1 on Sunday.

“I booked a slot for Sunday on Thursday. I knew that a lot of people would come for the vaccine on Sunday and the nearest site could run out of doses for the day. If missed, my slot would probably get delayed by a week. Weekdays are very hectic,” said Manav Baweja, a businessman who took the shot at a site in south-east Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar on Sunday.

Ramdeen Prajapati, an industrial worker, said Sunday was the only day he could make time to take the jab.

“Our work involves loading and unloading heavy machinery. It is not possible to accommodate work and taking the vaccine on the same day. Skipping a day’s work will mean forgoing wages, which people like us cannot afford, especially in the current tough times. Sunday is the only option I have,” said Prajapati, who took the shot at a dispensary near west Delhi’s Mayapuri on Sunday.

The Delhi government is also identifying schools and community centres where new vaccine sites can be set up. Currently, all such sites in the city are in health care facilities.

“We have sought the central government’s opinion on the matter. If approved, these centres will be Delhi’s first set of outreach vaccination sites,” said a senior government official who asked not to be named.

Officials said one of the main challenges is to vaccinate residents of unauthorised colonies and slums, a large number of which are located in the Shahdara, North-east, North-west, South, and East districts.

Officials said these are densely populated areas, and do not have too many government-run medical facilities, so setting up outreach sites there will help boost vaccination numbers.