Amid the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination drive, the Delhi government on February 19 said healthcare workers need not report to work on the day they are being vaccinated and they will be considered 'on duty' provided they submit proof of vaccination.

Keeping in view the fact that beneficiaries may have to travel to designated healthcare facilities for vaccination and they may experience mild pain after administration of vaccine besides mild body ache and fever (in few cases), it may not be feasible for them to report to work on the day of vaccination and have a productive day in terms of the transaction of day-to-day business, an official order said.

The matter has been considered by the Delhi government and it has been decided that healthcare personnel working in Delhi government facilities "need not attend office on the day they are vaccinated and they may be treated 'on duty' on submission of the proof of vaccination to the parent department", it said. Coronavirus vaccine shots were administered to 24,321 beneficiaries in Delhi on February 19. The inoculation figures have crossed the 24,000-mark for the second consecutive day, according to data shared by officials.

Ten minor cases of AEFI (adverse events following immunisation) were reported, the officials said. The nationwide vaccination drive was launched on January 16 as per the mandate from the central government. Healthcare and frontline workers are being vaccinated during the initial phases of the drive.