New Delhi: The Delhi government on Monday said that one-third of its COVID-19 vaccination centres in all state government hospitals will be operational for 24 hours from tomorrow. The decision comes amid a surge in coronavirus cases in the national capital. Delhi recorded 4,033 COVID cases on Sunday, the highest daily count this year, while the positivity rate rose to 4.64 per cent from 4.48 per cent a day ago, according to the health department. Twenty-one more people died due to the disease, the highest since January 1, when an equal number of fatalities were reported.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking relaxed norms for setting up COVID-19 vaccination centres. He also urged the PM to lift the age criterion for vaccination and making it available for all in the national capital. In his letter, CM Kejriwal also wrote that if the conditions for opening new vaccination centres are relaxed and vaccination is opened for all, then Delhi government will be able to vaccinate all citizens of Delhi within 3 months.

“The increased transmission of coronavirus across the country has presented a new concern and challenge. We will have to move the vaccination campaign more rapidly,” Delhi CM said in his letter to the prime minister.

Earlier, Kejriwal appreciated the Centre’s decision to start COVID-19 vaccination on all days in April for people aged above 45 years. He urged the central government to remove the clause of vaccinating only those above the age of 45 and start the vaccination drive at a mass scale for all age groups.

(With inputs from agencies)