Gandhinagar, Jan 12 (IANS): The first batch of 2,76,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine reached the Sardar Patel international airport in Ahmedabad on Tuesday from the Serum Institute of India (SII) in Pune.

The first batch of Covishield vaccines was received by Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, who flagged off the refrigerated vans for various storage depots in Gandhinagar, Bhavnagar and Ahmedabad where the doses will be kept safely till the first phase of vaccination begins on January 16 at 287 booths across the state. Minister of State for Home (MoS), Pradeepsinh Jadeja, was also present at the airport.

"We have received 23 boxes, each containing 12,000 dozes of the vaccine. Eight of them will be sent to the state vaccines store in Gandhinagar, 10 to the regional vaccines store in Ahmedabad and five to the Bhavnagar zone through the green corridor specially created for the transportation," Patel told mediapersons.

"For the facilitation of the vaccination for the frontline health workers in the state, we have set up more than 20,000 vaccine centres. Over 4,33,000 frontline workers, including doctors, nursing staff, paramedical staff and sanitisation workers will be administered vaccines in the first phase," Patel added.