The 17th mega Covid vaccination camp across Tamil Nadu commenced at 8 am on Sunday as the State urged those unvaccinated persons to get the shots immediately to prevent themselves getting infected from the fast-spreading Delta and Omicron variants.

The 16th mega vaccination camp on December 26 saw a total of 17,32,277 beneficiaries getting vaccinated. Of these, 5,17,126 got the first dose and 12,14,151 second.

As on Saturday, the number of doses administered in Tamil Nadu was 8,11,40,796, according to state health department data.

So far, 86.22 per cent of the population in the State have got the first dose and 91 per cent of persons in Chennai. Those who got the second dose in the State were 58.82 per cent and 69 per cent in Chennai, said Health Minister M Subramanian. “Please get the shots as both Delta and Omicron variants are spreading at a rapid pace,” he urged people at a press meet.

In Maharashtra, over 22,000 people, including a number of ministers and MLAs, have been infected on Saturday. In Tamil Nadu, the daily infection that was around 600 a few days back has more than doubled to nearly 1,500 on Saturday, he said. “Please wear masks, avoid gatherings and maintain social distance. Only these preventive measures will ensure that you are not infected,” he said.

Meanwhile, with the virus spreading at a rapid pace in Chennai (682 new cases on Saturday; 589 on Friday and 397 on Wednesday), the Greater Chennai Corporation is turning the Chennai Trade Centre and the Victoria Hostels into medical care centres with the required number of beds to cater to those who are infected, the minister said.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW