Vaccination drive for the people in the age group of 18 to 44 years will begin in Nagaland from May 17. 

In a release, the State Directorate of Health and Family Welfare said 36,580 vaccine doses arrived in the State on May 12. It said the vaccination drive will be held in 24 session sites on May 17 and 28 sites on May 18.  

Every Monday and Tuesday has been reserved for vaccination of the people of this age group at designated Covid-19 vaccination centre (CVC). 

The registration and booking for this age group started at 9 am on Friday as per the slot available for each CVC. 

A total of 7,450 doses are scheduled to be administrated during the first cycle of the vaccination for this age group. 

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The department said registration on CoWIN or Arogya Setu is mandatory for all beneficiaries to get the vaccination and added that no on-site registration would be entertained. 

It said those who had already registered still need to book a slot at any designated CVC.  The registered beneficiaries have also been directed to come to the CVC with the same photo identity uploaded on CoWIN or Arogys Setu App.  

The department said all the beneficiaries must maintain Covid appropriate behaviour and no person with Covid-19 like symptoms would be allowed entry the CVCs. 

Meanwhile, the Block Task Force on COVID-19 of Bhandari dub-division in Wokha district has decided to earmark public buildings as Covid care centres. 

This was decided at an emergency meeting held in Bhandari additional deputy commissioner’s to step up measures to contain the pandemic at the inter-state areas bordering the sub-division and beyond. 

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The meeting, chaired by additional deputy commissioner  Tiameren Chang reviewed the strength of delivering COVID-19 services to the public and also it’s preparedness to face the present surge of Covid-19 positive cases. 

It was resolved to earmark Amnesty Centre near Bhandari village, BM rest house at Merapani (Marachü) and Eloe Hoho office building at Bhandari as Covid care centres. 

The meeting also discussed  random testing for Covid-19 at Bhandari and Merapani village (Marachü Yan) and decided that shopkeepers would be tested first after completion of contact tracing by competent medical teams. 

It was decided that the police, dobashis and students’ body would volunteer to assist the medical team for smooth random test drive. 

Bhadra Gogoi is Northeast Now Correspondent in Nagaland. He can be reached at: [email protected]