CHENNAI: Starting this week, exclusive special vaccination camps will be held on Thursdays for those eligible for the booster or precaution dose in the State, said Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Tuesday.
Inspecting a 'booster dose at the doorstep' drive for those above 60 years of age with comorbidities on the day, the minister said the special camps will be held in 600 centres across the State. The camps will be conducted in Primary Health Care centres, Community Health centres, district headquarter hospitals and government medical college hospitals.
He added that the mega vaccination drives in 50,000 centres on Saturdays will also continue. Chief Minister MK Stalin on January 10 had launched the COVID-19 vaccine booster dose drive for healthcare workers, frontline workers and people above 60 with comorbidities.
Subramanian said that as of Monday, 32,355 healthcare workers, 25,300 frontline workers, and 34,867 people above 60 have received the booster dose in the State. This means a total of 92,522 people have received the dose, of the 4,48,232 eligible (those doubly-vaccinated before April 14) in the State.
The minister said the number of those eligible will increase to 10 lakh by the end of January. Subramanian said there would be a clearer picture in three days whether the number of cases in the State will increase or not. Even though the cases saw a marginal dip during Pongal days, the minister stressed that many in rural areas had gathered in large numbers to celebrate the festival.
Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan, who accompanied the minister, said the positivity rate (TPR) in Tamil Nadu is still high amid the marginal dip in cases. He attributed this to the State testing all symptomatic people as per the ICMR guidelines.
Radhakrishnan said that of the 1.79 lakh households in rural areas, 22,435 have active cases, and 353 have clusters. He added that of the 1.27 lakh streets in urban areas, 21,487 have active cases and 3,069 have clusters.
The health secretary, too, said there are chances that cases might increase once people resume their regular activities after the Pongal holidays. Subramanian said nearly 30,000 RT-PCR tests are now being conducted every day in Chennai alone.
The minister, who was also accompanied by Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi, inspected a screening centre in Kodambakkam zone. Meanwhile, he said counselling for MBBS/BDS admissions will be announced in one or two days, once the Union Health Ministry finishes counselling for All India Quota, and announces results.