Bhubaneswar: In its bid to ramp up Covid detection and vaccination, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Saturday said it will provide doorstep testing and vaccination to differently-abled individuals facing difficulties to avail the facilities
Discussing the state of Covid-19 in the capital city here, BMC Commissioner, Sanjay Singh said there has been a drop in daily caseload. While daily positive cases stood at 1,353 until May 15 it has remained around 1,150 on an average owing to lockdown and shutdown, he said. However, ruling out complacency, Singh said testing will be enhanced.
“We have decided to provide doorstep testing and vaccination to differently-abled individuals. Moreover, we are planning to add more patients under ‘A’ category such as those who are
bed-ridden, pregnant women and senior citizens. Those who seek home testing or vaccination they can avail the facilities by calling 1929,” Singh said.
The BMC Commissioner also mentioned that the civic authority would now provide mass testing to housing societies to check the spread of virus in urban dwellings. “If any Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) who wish mass testing for their societies can contact their respective Zonal Deputy Commissioners or call 1929,” he added.
New slots for drive-in open as state orders restrictions
Despite the state government’s instructions to stop drive-in vaccination programmes across Odisha, the BMC Saturday issued fresh slots for drive-ins from May 24 extending the date for drive-in vaccination till May 28.
The civic authority in a tweet Saturday stated that the 45+ age group residents of Bhubaneswar can book slots at any of the five venues — Esplanade One Mall at Rasulgarh, Utkal Kanika Galleria at Kalpana, Symphony Mall at Rudrapur, KIIT University Cricket Stadium at Patia and DN Regalia Mall at Kalinganagar. While booking for the slots began Saturday, the drive will begin May 24.
It can be mentioned that the state government May 19 had written to District Collectors and municipal commissioners to stop drive-in or door-to-door vaccination programmes. The letter mentioned that the practice should be stopped immediately as the initiatives lack adequate facilities to monitor adverse effects following immunization.
“We have not received any official communication from the government on cancellation of drive-ins. Moreover, cancelling the drive abruptly may create further confusion as the slots have already been allotted to people. We have been following the drive with all precautions along with required infrastructure as per government guidelines,” a BMC official said.