Puducherry Makes COVID-19 Vaccine Mandatory for All, To Penalise Violators

The Puducherry Health Department has administered 12,55,172 doses as on 4 December. Image used for representation.

(Photo: PTI)

Puducherry has enforced compulsory vaccination with immediate effect amid the emergence of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, the Union territory government announced in an order on Saturday, 4 December.

“In exercise of the powers vested as per section 6 and as per the provision of section 54(1) of the Puducherry Public Health Act, 1973, the undersigned enforces compulsory vaccination for Covid-19 in Puducherry UT with immediate effect. Those violating this will be liable for penal action, as per the provisions of the law,” the order from the Director of Health stated.

The Puducherry Health Department has administered 12,55,172 doses as on 4 December, which comprised 7,70,558 first doses and the remaining 4,84,614 as second dose.

The government has recently intensified measures to cover all eligible people in its vaccination drive, Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan said on Saturday.

She visited a special camp in Reddiarpalayam and went door to door to persuade the residents to get themselves vaccinated, a press release said.

Puducherry clocked 28 fresh cases of coronavirus on Saturday, raising the overall tally of infections to 1,29,056. The new cases identified at the end of examination of 2,514 samples were spread over Puducherry (15), Karaikal (7) and Mahe (6). Yanam, an enclave of Puducherry in Andhra Pradesh, did not report any fresh cases. One more person succumbed to the viral infection raising the overall death toll to 1,875.

(This was first published on The News Minute and has been republished with permission.)