Kannur District Collector T.V. Subhash has announced a vaccine bonus scheme against the backdrop of relaxations in COVID-19 curbs.
The scheme aims to give vaccines as bonus to local bodies that conduct the maximum number of RT-PCR tests. The Collector said an additional 750 doses would be given to the panchayat and municipality that conduct the highest number of tests in a week. The decision on the scheme was taken at a meeting of the District Disaster Management Authority.
The rate of testing will be assessed every week, on the basis of which bonus doses will be made available to the best performers, in addition to the population-based vaccine quota.
The Collector said RT-PCR test was being promoted to stop the spread of infection. Delaying the test until symptoms appear or not conducting it in the absence of symptoms can lead to a spread of the disease. Therefore, the ideal way to prevent it is to test for the virus at the earliest, he added.
He also said that those who had not been vaccinated should be encouraged to undergo the test.
Elderly people, children, and those with chronic illnesses should be evacuated only during emergencies, the Collector said, adding that crowding should be avoided in markets and tourist centres. District panchayat president P.P. Divya and Deputy District Medical Officer Dr. M. Preetha were present at the meeting.
