Indian capital chief minister announces free COVID-19 vaccine for all above 18

A woman receives a jab of COVID-19 vaccine at a government hospital in New Delhi, India, on March 16, 2021. (Photo by Partha Sarkar/Xinhua)

The Delhi government has decided to provide free COVID-19 vaccines to everyone above 18 years of age and a purchase of 13.4 million vaccines has been approved, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced.

NEW DELHI, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Monday that his government will vaccinate all above 18 years of age free of cost at public hospitals in the Indian capital.

"The Delhi government has decided to provide free vaccines to everyone above 18 years of age. Today we have given the approval for the purchase of 13.4 million vaccines. We will make an effort to ensure that it is purchased soon and administered at the earliest to people," Kejriwal said in a video address on Monday.

Those going to private hospitals have to pay for their COVID-19 vaccinations.

A health worker prepares a jab of COVID-19 vaccine at a government hospital in New Delhi, India, on March 16, 2021. (Photo by Partha Sarkar/Xinhua)

The federal government said last week vaccination against COVID-19 for everyone above the age of 18 years will start from May 1.

The federal government said that it would continue to provide vaccines to states free of cost.

The COVID-19 vaccination drive launched across the country on Jan. 16 is underway. In the first phase, health workers and frontline workers were inoculated. In the second phase, inoculations were carried on people above 60 years and those above 45 years of age but with co-morbidities. At present, people who are 45-years of age or older are being vaccinated.

People line up for the COVID-19 vaccine at a stadium in Guwahati, India, on April 22, 2021. (Str/Xinhua)

So far over 141 million beneficiaries have been vaccinated, the health ministry said Monday.

India is presently witnessing a resurgence in COVID-19 cases.

On Monday morning the country reported the world's biggest-ever daily surge with 352,991 new cases and 2,812 related deaths in the past 24 hours.