All of Delhi can get COVID-19 vaccination in 3 months, if eligibility criteria is removed: CM Arvind Kejriwal

Arvind Kejriwal said, `The system should be decentralised and states should be allowed to vaccinate on war footing, in their own way.`

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday (March 18) urged the Centre to open COVID-19 vaccination for all and claimed that if the eligibility criteria is removed, all of Delhi can be vaccinated in three months. 

“If the Centre allows vaccination for everyone and we get sufficient supply of vaccine then we can vaccinate everyone in Delhi within 3 months. The system should be decentralised and states should be allowed to vaccinate on war footing, in their own way,” the Delhi CM said. 

Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal also said that everyone except those below the age of 18 should get COVID-19 vaccination. “Appeal to the Centre to relax vaccination eligibility criteria, open it for all except below 18 years,” the Delhi CM said. 

“I appeal to the Centre that their current guideline for vaccination centres is very stringent. We now have 2 months of experience in vaccination. So we're writing to Centre to relax some parameters so that vaccination can be done at more centres. We'll take all precautions,” he added. 

Stating that the recent rise of COVID-19 cases in the national capital is not a cause of worry, the AAP chief appealed to the eligible beneficiaries to get vaccinated against coronavirus. Kejriwal said that the number of people vaccinated in Delhi every day will be raised from around 40,000 to 1.25 lakh. 

He added that his government has directed officials for stricter tracing, testing, isolation of coronavirus cases. The CM also assured that the number of vaccination centres in Delhi will be doubled which will open from 9 am to 9 pm.

(With inputs from agencies)