New Delhi, Mar 24 (IANS): Online food delivery platform Swiggy on Wednesday announced that it will cover Covid-19 vaccination cost for over 2 lakh delivery partners.

In the first tranche of the programme, 5,500 of Swiggy's delivery partners aged between 45 and above will be eligible to opt in for the vaccination. It is also requesting authorities for the prioritisation of delivery partners in the vaccine drive.

"As we continue to make all efforts to fight the pandemic, we're prioritising creating awareness across our fleet and extending our Covid cover to include access to vaccination for all delivery partners," Vivek Sunder, COO, Swiggy, said in a statement.

"We will also cover for the loss of pay when they take the time off to get vaccinated. This is another step in doing our bit for our partners who are supporting not just themselves and their families but also the society as essential service providers," Sunder added.

The company said it is working with a healthcare partner to create awareness and communicate the necessary know-hows and precautions by conducting workshops and counselling sessions for its delivery partners before the vaccination.

It will then enable quick and free vaccine access and cover the loss of pay for the period the delivery partner spends in getting both the doses.

If the partners choose to get the vaccination at a government facility, Swiggy will continue to cover the loss of pay for that period. Swiggy will also extend its free tele-medicine consultation and app-based support for delivery partners for this programme.