‘COVID vaccination at 3,000 centres from Mar 8, target to vaccinate 1.5L people each day’

Bengaluru: Vaccination against COVID-19 will be done at about 3,000 centres including PHCs, Taluk Hospitals and District Hospitals from March 8, and the target is to vaccinate 1.5 lakh people each day, Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar said on Saturday.

Stressing the need to avoid crowding and agitations at least for the next one month aimed at controlling COVID cases, he said not more than 500 people will be allowed at large gatherings and necessary steps will be taken in this regard.

The minister today held a meeting to review the COVID-19 situation and progress of vaccination drive in the state.

Pointing out that there will be 3,000 vaccination centres from Monday, the minister urged people to come forward in large numbers to take the shot, his office quoted him as saying in a release.

Further noting that since the last several weeks about 200-250 cases were being reported in Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP-city corporation) limits each day, which has suddenly increased to 400 yesterday, Sudhakar said 12 clusters have been identified in BBMP limits and testing will be increased to 40,000 per day from the current 30,000.

Contact tracing will also be made more robust and the Centre has directed to trace 20 primary and secondary contacts for each positive case, he said. All these 20 contacts will be subjected to COVID-19 test, the minister said.

Citing the high caseload in the neighbouring states of Kerala and Maharashtra, he said along with strict measures at borders, restrictions on large gatherings will also be tightened.

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa will hold a video conference with district administrations of districts where the positivity rate is high, Sudhakar said.

Since there are more inter-state travellers to Mangaluru, testing will be ramped up there, the minister said.

Instructions have been issued to Bengaluru Urban, Dakshina Kannada, Mysuru, Chamaajanagara, Udupi, Kodagu, Belagavi and Tumkuru authorities to be more vigilant, he added.