Maharashtra likely to start phase 2 of Covid vaccination drive from today

The Centre is yet to activate the “session live” option for frontline workers on the Co-WIN app, which could delay the state’s plan; officials said the Centre assured them it would activate the session by tonight

Maharashtra is likely to kickstart phase 2 of the Covid-19 vaccination drive from Tuesday. It has planned to inoculate frontline workers along with healthcare workers. It has completed the mock drill on Monday for the frontline workers. It has also directed the district administrations to increase the vaccination centres.

Representational image. (REUTERS)

Frontline workers include the police, sanitation workers and revenue department officials.

The state health department officials, however, said that they are ready to start phase 2 of the immunisation programme, but it all depends upon the Centre as they have to activate the system for phase 2 on Co-WIN app.

Around 580,000 frontline workers have registered themselves on the Co-WIN app for the vaccination till date.

The Co-WIN app assists programme managers in the state during vaccination sessions. Data of the beneficiaries is populated onto Co-WIN and the session allocation, details of vaccination to the beneficiary, information about the next dose are captured and communicated digitally.

“We carried out mock drills for frontline workers on Monday as part of our preparations to start phase 2 of the vaccination drive. Results are encouraging and we ready to go ahead with the inoculation of frontline workers in the state,” said a senior health official, requesting anonymity.

But the Centre is yet to activate the “session live” option for frontline workers on the Co-WIN app, which could delay the state’s plan. “The union health ministry is yet to make the session live on Co-WIN app. They have assured us that it will be done by late Monday night. If they do it then, we can start vaccination for frontline workers,” he added.

Maharashtra’s vaccination figures have crossed the 300,000-mark after 40,331 (77%) of the 52,100 registered healthcare workers (HCWs) were immunised against Covid-19 on Monday across 531 centres. So far, the state has inoculated 309,846 of the around 800,000 healthcare workers registered on the Co-WIN app.

Mumbai too improved its turnout to 93.4% on Monday after 7,707 healthcare workers were inoculated. Of these, 5,746 vaccines were administered in the suburban district – which is 61% above its daily target – while the island city recorded 65% of its target after vaccinating 1,961 healthcare workers, data provided by the state health department revealed.

Mumbai ranks first in Maharashtra in terms of the highest number of vaccinations, with 46,359 healthcare workers receiving the shot. In Pune and Nagpur, 27,555 and 14,434 have received the jab so far.