Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday announced that citizens aged 45 and above can get vaccinated against the coronavirus at their designated polling stations.

In a press briefing, Kejriwal said that the Delhi government has planned to inoculate all citizens aged 45 and above in a month. He said that there are 57 lakh citizens who are 45 years old and above in the national Capital, and 27 lakh of them have received their first dose.

Citing a lack of footfall at Covid-19 vaccination centres, Kejriwal said that the Delhi government will enlist booth level officers to inform citizens that they can get the shot at their designated polling stations.

“Polling stations are very close to the homes [of the citizens] and they can easily walk there to get vaccinated,” the chief minister said, adding that the Delhi government has also made arrangements for e-rickshaws to transport residents.

He said that there are 272 wards in Delhi and his government will cover 70 wards each week. “So today, where the programme is starting in the first 70 wards, the booth level officers there are being trained,” he said. “These booth level officers will go to each house in their areas and ask who are above 45 years and if they are vaccinated.”

If the citizens are not vaccinated, Kejriwal said, the polling officers will book a slot for them. “Booth level officers will try to convince the people who refuse to get vaccinated,” he added.

The booth level officers will be accompanied by a team comprising civil defence volunteers. Kejriwal said that the teams will again visit to check if residents have taken the shot or not.

The chief minister said that the second dose will be administered according to the Centre’s guidelines on the duration between the shots.

He added that the same programme will be conducted for the 18-44 age group when there are enough vaccine doses. Delhi has suspended the immunisation programme for the 18-44 age group, citing a shortage of vaccines.

As of Monday, Delhi has administered 56,67,198 Covid-19 vaccine doses, and 12,85,767 residents have received both doses, central government data showed. On Sunday, Delhi reported 381 Covid-19 cases, pushing the count of infections in the national Capital to 14,29,244. The toll rose to 24,591 after 34 residents died.