Over 41,000 people vaccinated in Delhi on Wednesday amid spike in Covid-19 cases

Over 41,000 beneficiaries received shots of Covid-19 vaccine on Wednesday in Delhi, even as the city recorded 5,506 fresh cases, the sharpest daily spike this year.

Out of these, 33,867 people got their first jab while the second dose was administered to 7,545 people, while 22,951 beneficiaries in the age group of 45-59 received shots, the official said.

Lesser sessions were held as dispensary-based session sites are not functional on Wednesday and Friday, he said.

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The third phase of the vaccination drive will span 65 lakh people aged above 45 in the national capital.

By 6 pm, at least 41,412 people had received jabs, the senior official of the Delhi health department said. The final figures at 9 pm wasn't immediately available.

Three cases of minor adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) were reported, the official said.

The inoculation drive is taking place at a time when the coronavirus cases have again mounted in the last few weeks.

In the first phase, starting January 16, over 3.6 lakh beneficiaries comprising healthcare workers and frontline workers, were vaccinated in Delhi.

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Jabs were given to people aged 60 and above, and those in 45-59 age bracket with comorbidities in the second phase.

"In the third phase, people aged 45 and above as on January 1, 2022 are eligible for vaccination, irrespective of their comorbidity status," a senior government officer had earlier said.

Seeking to accelerate the pace of vaccination against Covid-19, authorities on Monday had ordered that one-third of session sites at all Delhi government hospitals will run round-the-clock from Tuesday onwards.

Meanwhile, officials on Wednesday said, Covid-19 vaccination beneficiaries choosing to go for walk-in facility will have to acquire an e-pass to travel during the night curfew hours in Delhi.

People eligible for vaccination also have to carry their photo identity cards, including Aadhaar and voter cards. The city has seen a surge in case in the last few weeks.

Delhi on Wednesday recorded 5,506 fresh Covid-19 cases, the sharpest daily spike this year, that pushed the infection tally to 6,90,568 while 20 more people succumbed to the disease, taking the death toll to 11,133, according to the health department.

This is the second consecutive day when Delhi has seen a rise of over 5,000 cases.

The city had reported 5,100 fresh cases on Tuesday. The positivity rate jumped to 6.1 per cent on Wednesday from 4.93 per cent the day before, according to the bulletin.