Only those who register on the CoWin portal (www.cowin.gov.in) will be administered Covid-19 vaccination from today, said the Kerala State Department of Health, adding that the spot registration facility will no longer be available to the public. The spot registration facility was cancelled as people ignored Covid 19 guidelines and vaccination centres were overcrowded.
Meanwhile scuffles broke out in various places over confusions on online registration. A conflict broke out at the Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital between the hospital staff and people. Although online registrastion has been announced as a must for those who wish to receive the Covid vaccine, there was a long queue in front of the hospital since daybreak as many were unaware of the new guidelines. Also those who tried to register online, were unable to complete the process due to technical glitches. The crowd alleged that the hospital authorities did not tell them that online registration is required. They also pointed out there were no notices put up regarding online registration being a prerequisite for vaccination.
Meanwhile, Kerala has recorded 217 Covid-19 related deaths in 10 days. Adding to the grim picture the number of patients in ventilator support has crossed 300 for the first time. With mass testing launched, the State yesterday recorded the highest number of Covid cases so far – 22,414 tested positive from 1,21,763 samples. The State, which was facing a shortage of vaccine, is expected to receive 5.5 lakh doses of Covid vaccine this evening.
