Striving to prevent unruly scenes that disrupted the vaccination drive on Monday, the district authorities have chalked out a strategy for streamlining the public headed to the Jimmy George indoor stadium.
Armed with additional deployment from the Armed Police camp, the police will permit entry only on the basis of the appointment time slots. Those arriving much earlier will be sent back to avoid unnecessary crowding. No request for spot registration will be entertained.
Museum Inspector Prajeesh Sasi said the public would also be required to park outside the premises of the stadium. The parking area of the stadium would be converted as a waiting area. A pandhal would be erected there for the benefit of those awaiting their turns.
Meanwhile senior citizens can be dropped off close to the venue, cars would have to be parked on the premises of the Kanakakkunnu palace or other dedicated spaces nearby. Facilities have also been made to provide drinking water at the vaccination centre. Nevertheless, Mr. Sasi appealed to the public to carry water and snacks as much as possible to ensure no one faced uneasiness as seen on Monday.
On Monday
The vaccination camp on Monday lasted until 8.30 p.m. by when 2,867 people were inoculated. The count was higher than what had been anticipated by the district health authorities. While all of the 2,000 available slots on Co-WIN were booked, Health officials were taken off-guard when many turned up with appointments obtained through the Aarogya Setu app.
District Collector Navjot Khosa also delegated Special Tahsildar N. Balasubramanian as special nodal officer to coordinate the vaccination camp at the stadium. District Development Commissioner Vinay Goyal would oversee the efforts.
The move assumes significance as it comes on a day when the 30-odd volunteers attached to the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) came under intense public pressure. Besides being on tenterhooks for most part of the day, one of the volunteers was also allegedly assaulted by a person who had come for the vaccine.
