To ease out the difficulties being faced by the international travelers, the Punjab government on Thursday relaxed the norms of Covid vaccination for the benefit of international travelers who have the compulsion to travel abroad.

“As a number of Punjabis travel abroad for the purpose of study or some other important reasons, international travel in this pandemic era is possible only with Covid related preconditions such as Covid negative test report or vaccination certificate,” health and family welfare minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said.

He said the state government has decided dispensation of providing the second dose vaccination before a mandatory gap of 84 days after the first dose of Covishield is extended to all individuals who have to travel abroad for, availing treatment services for any health problem, foreign nationals who have to return to their country and circumstances in which such foreign travel may be unavoidable.

The health minister said in such cases, concerned individuals may be asked to produce a copy of travel documents such as Visa or confirmed tickets along with any such other documents that may justify the urgency for undertaking the travel.

Meanwhile, in view of a maximum number of people to be vaccinated with a second dose, the Punjab government has earmarked every Sunday to administer a second dose at all Covid Vaccination Centres.

ਹਰ ਐਤਵਾਰ ਨੂੰ ਸਾਰੇ ਸਰਕਾਰੀ ਵੈਕਸੀਨ ਕੇਂਦਰਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਿਰਫ ਦੂਜੀ ਡੋਜ ਲਗਾਈ ਜਾਵੇਗੀ।#LargestVaccinationDrive #MissionFateh pic.twitter.com/7ogHPF12kE

— Department of Health and Family Welfare Punjab (@PunjabDOHFW) September 1, 2021

Giving details, the health minister Sidhu said coverage of Covid-19 vaccination or second dose due beneficiaries remains critical for the successful impact of vaccination drive so it has been decided to earmark every Sunday for the Covid vaccination session at all the government Covid Vaccination Centres only for administering the second dose among due beneficiaries.

Normal vaccination sessions for the first and second dose of vaccine will remain the same during the weekdays except Sunday.

Till 31 August 1,36,70,847 doses have been administered and out of these 32,89,210 have received both doses of vaccine and 1,03,81,637 have received their first dose of vaccine. He appealed to the public to get themselves vaccinated without any hesitation.