On Sunday, in a video addressing residents of Goa, Sawant said, “Pre-registration is not required. You can walk in and get vaccinated. All persons above 18 years of age will be eligible for walk-in vaccination, without any restrictions.
The drive will be conducted across Goa in 164 locations at municipality and Gram Panchayat level and also at 40 permanent locations of the Directorate of Health Services.” The drive he was referring to is the third phase of the ‘Tika Utsav’ in the state.
Sawant had earlier said that the state government aims to vaccinate its entire population against Covid-19 with at least the first dose by July 30.
This will ensure more vaccinated youth in the state and hopefully, help curb the virus at a faster pace.
He said the Goa government had taken the decision to start the third phase of the Tika Utsav following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of free vaccination for all from June 21.
He said that in addition to permanent vaccination centers located at Primary Health Centres and Community Health Centres in the state there will be rotating vaccination centers that will move from one village to another. A timetable for these will be issued by the government. Each vaccination center, he said, will be able to administer 250 doses a day.
“Please do not rush to the vaccination centres. A timetable will be issued, see when there is a camp in your village and don’t make a run to another village panchayat for vaccination,” said Sawant.
According to the data released by the government on Friday, the first dose of the vaccine has been administered to 4,06,621 people in the state while 98, 091 people have received both doses.
Amid talk of the third wave affecting children, the state government had announced lactating mothers and parents of children under 15 as a priority group for vaccination in the 18-44 age group. The other priority groups in the age group included those with co-morbidities and seafarers.
