Chennai, Jan 9 ( IANS): Amid the rising Covid-19 cases, the Tamil Nadu health department have vaccinated 17,34,083 people in the 18th mega vaccine camp.
The camps were held on Saturday across the state with more than 50,000 kiosks available for people to take the jab.
The state health department in a press statement on said that there would not be any vaccination on Sunday in the state.
According to the statement, 5,71,795 people received the first dose of vaccine while 11,62,288 received the second dose of the vaccine. The total number of people vaccinated in the state now stands above 9 crores.
Around 87.03 per cent of the total populace of the state has received the first dose of the vaccine while 60.01 per cent received the second dose of the jab, the statement said.
Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian while speaking to IANS said, "The state is well on its way to inoculate the entire population, and the health department and its staff has risen to the occasion in the vaccine drive. We have now vaccinated around 9 crore people of the state."
He also said that the state capital Chennai stands first in the rate of vaccination with 92 per cent receiving the first dose of the vaccine and 71 per cent receiving the second dose.
The minister said that at least 35.46 lakh people are eligible for a booster dose that include 9.78 lakh front-line workers, 5.65 lakh health care workers, and 20.03 lakh people with comorbidities who are above the age of 60.
Booster dose in Tamil Nadu will be made available from January 10 onwards but only 4 lakh will be able to get the booster dose on that day according to the criteria set for booster doses as those taking the booster doses would have completed 39 weeks after their second dose.
The state government has also stopped all grievance day meetings across the state, including the public grievance meetings held at the district collectorates on Mondays as well as the farmer's grievances meetings.
Meanwhile, the state government in a statement announced that people will be able to attend marriages on Sunday amid lockdown if they show proper proof that they were travelling to attend the marriages. Police will allow them to travel if they produce wedding invitations and only 100 people will be able to attend a wedding function.