Delhi government offers free Covid booster dose for all eligible beneficiaries

Delhi will provide free COVID-19 precautionary dose to beneficiaries in the 18-59 age group at government vaccination centres, the city health department said on Thursday.

The administration of the precautionary or third dose of COVID-19 vaccine to the 18-plus population through private vaccination centres had started across the country on April 10.

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"In order to give the benefit of precaution dose to all eligible beneficiaries in Delhi, the same will be available for 18 to 59 years' age group, free of cost in all government CVCs from April 21," the health department said in an order.

Necessary changes have been made in the Co-WIN portal for Delhi wherein both "online appointment and walk-in will be available", it said.

The decision comes amid a spurt in the number of infections in the capital.

The Delhi government on Wednesday made the wearing of masks mandatory in public places and announced a fine of Rs 500 on violators, just eight days after it had relaxed this norm due to a decline in cases.

Delhi has also started genome sequencing of samples of all Covid-infected people to ascertain if a new variant, such as the XE, has spread in the city.