This Article is From Dec 26, 2020

Delhi Police To Get Covid Vaccine Soon, Personnel To Get Info On SMS

Coronavirus: "The date, time and place of vaccination for each police personnel will be intimated to him/her on their mobile number by SMS," the Delhi Police said

Delhi Police To Get Covid Vaccine Soon, Personnel To Get Info On SMS

Coronavirus: Delhi Police said it will send details of COVID-19 vaccination to its staff by SMS

New Delhi:

Delhi Police will start vaccinating its personnel against COVID-19 soon and details will be sent to them by SMS, the police said in an order to all district heads of the force today.

"Vaccination for COVID-19 of Delhi Police personnel will start soon. The date, time and place of vaccination for each police personnel will be intimated to him/her on their mobile number by SMS," senior police officer Muktesh Chander, who is also the nodal officer for COVID-19 action plan, said in the order.

"Therefore, it is important that the mobile number of all police personnel is entered and updated in the PIS system on IntraDP system. All district and unit heads should get this exercise completed by January 3, 2021 positively so that no one is left out from the vaccination programme. A list of personnel whose mobile numbers are not available in PIS system will be intimated by DCP/IT through e-mail to all concerned," Mr Chander said.

The announcement by Delhi Police for its personnel also brings clarity on how other people would likely be contacted for COVID-19 vaccination. Delhi Police personnel, apart from healthcare workers, are some of the most vulnerable to COVID-19 infection as they have to be deployed in public places round the clock.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Thursday that a total of 51 lakh people from three priority groups will get vaccinated in the first phase in the national capital, and their data has been sent to the centre.

This includes three lakh healthcare workers and six lakh frontline workers like policemen and civil defence personnel. The third category is of those above 50 and those who are less than 50 but have co-morbidities; there are 42 lakh people in this category.

Hundreds of police staff have tested positive since the pandemic reached the national capital, and there have been several fatalities to COVID-19 in the force.

The country is preparing to vaccinate frontline medical workers and those directly involved in fighting COVID-19 first.

The Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech, both, have applied for emergency use approval in India, but have been asked for more data. Pfizer had also applied to the Drugs Controller General of India, but it is yet to make a presentation. Moderna is yet to apply.

The country's largest airport in Delhi is also gearing up to handle distribution of lakhs of vials of COVID-19 vaccine under "Project Sanjivani" as early as next month.

On Tuesday, Delhi Airport chief executive Videh Kumar Jaipuriya said they have been in touch with the government, and "as per government indications, we should be ready for distribution sometime in January".

Mr Jaipuriya told NDTV the cargo terminal at Indira Gandhi International Airport have been allotted to store and transport the temperature-sensitive vaccines.

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