The decision on whether to start privately-run vaccination centres will be taken if more stock comes in by Monday, said Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani. After the city’s vaccine stock dropped to nearly zero by Friday night, the BMC received 99,000 doses of Covishield late on Friday night, thus making it possible to start vaccination centres across various civic and state government hospitals on Saturday. And the BMC will be receiving another 1.35 lakh doses by Saturday night.

While on an average, the city is inoculating about close to 50,000 beneficiaries every day, the stock available with the civic body will be enough to last for another five days, said civic officials. However, with private hospitals shut, shortage of vaccine and the rising number of cases, coupled with the weekend lockdown, the number of those who came in for inoculation was low on Saturday. Kakani added, “If we receive more doses by Monday, we will start the drive at private hospitals again.”