BMC additional commissioner said vaccinations will be stopped because it is Sunday (Representational)
Highlights
- A top civic body official said that this is not due to vaccine shortage
- "It is on account of being Sunday," the official said
- Pune vaccination centres were shut on Saturday due to shortage of doses
Coronavirus vaccination centres run by Mumbai's civic body will be shut today, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) announced on Saturday adding that the details for Monday will be shared by them on Twitter on Sunday.
"Dear Mumbaikars. There will be no vaccination at any of the centres tomorrow. Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday. The details for Monday will be shared tomorrow by this handle & the respective wards too," the civic body tweeted.
A top official of BMC however clarified that vaccination is being stopped in Mumbai not due to vaccine shortage. "It is on account of being Sunday," the civic body's additional commissioner Suresh Kakani said.
In neighbouring Pune, vaccination centres were shut on Saturday due to shortage of doses, the city's Mayor Murlidhar Mohol said.
"Vaccination will not be done on May 22 at all vaccination centers in Pune Municipal corporation area due to shortage of vaccine stock," he tweeted in Marathi.
Delhi will also halt vaccinations from Monday temporarily for the 18-44 age group as it has almost run out of vaccines for this category, Aam Aadmi Party MLA Atishi said on Friday.
Last week, Maharashtra said it is "slowing down" the Covid vaccination process for those in the 18-44 age group to focus on those over 45 due to a shortage of doses in the state. There will, however, be no stopping the vaccination process, state Health Minister Rajesh Tope had said.
Earlier the state said it was considering the possibility of importing vaccines directly for the use of citizens in Mumbai.
Mumbai's Covid tally reached 6.96 lakhs after 1,299 people were detected with the infection on Saturday. The city saw 52 deaths taking the death count to 14,574, an official said adding that over 1800 people were discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours.
Maharashtra is the worst affected state in the country with over 55 lakh infections so far.