Mangaluru : As many as 229 healthcare workers were inoculated against COVID-19 while 62 refused to get vaccinated on the inaugural day of the vaccination drive in Dakshina Kannada district on  Saturday.

The administration had planned to inoculate 508 persons. This included 96 at District Government Wenlock Hospital, 75 at the Urban Primary Health Centre, Surathkal, 83 at taluk hospital, Bantwal, 84, Belthangady, 97 Sullia, and 73, Puttur. As against the target, 20, 45, 40, 35, 45, and 44 healthcare workers respectively were inoculated at these centres by the end of the sessions.

The first of the vaccines was administered to Robin Antony Monteiro, working at the medicine section, OPD, Wenlock.

Inaugurating the programme at the Wenlock, district in-charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary said India was able to develop a vaccine to fight COVID-19 at a time when the country along with others had faced several problems.

Mr. Poojary said India was able to prevent further spread of the pandemic by strictly following the guidelines. This was despite people and the economy suffering heavily due to the lockdowns, he noted. He congratulated the administrative machinery as well as general public for effectively facing the pandemic.

Minister S. Angara said spread of the pandemic could be prevented if everyone followed the guidelines.

Deputy Commissioner K.V. Rajendra, Mayor Diwakar, MLAs D. Vedavyas Kamath and Y. Bharath Shetty, zilla panchayat president Meenakshi Shanghigodu and vice-president Kasturi Panja, CEO R. Selvamani, DHO Ramachandra Bairy, District RCH officer B.V. Rajesh, and others were present.

Chairing the district disaster management committee meeting later in the day, Dr. Rajendra urged officials to take steps to prevent the second wave of COVID-19. While people were suffering from the second wave abroad, India still has not seen the second wave. Yet, there was no place for complacency, he said.

He said those returning from abroad and those entering the district for education and profession should compulsorily undergo COVID-19 test. Educational institutions should compulsorily follow the protocol, he added. Social distancing and wearing of masks should be ensured at all public places and programmes at private places.