The coronavirus vaccination drive for the general public, which will begin in the first week of March, will most probably starting from the Western Province, Army Commander Shavendra Silva said today.

“Plans have been drawn to commence the coronavirus vaccination drive for the general public from the Western Province, but it's  still being discussed,” Gen. Silva, the Head of National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak, told the Daily Mirror.

He said the Western Province is the key area of the country, where the virus spread was witnessed most, and it is also the province which attracts the most number of people from outside.

After having received 500,000 Oxford-Astra Zeneca-Covishield vaccines free of charge from India, Sri Lanka began vaccinating its frontline workers.

Nearly 190,000 frontline workers, including health, police and military personnel have been inoculated so far.

The government said the general public will be inoculated against the virus from next month.

Earlier, State Minister of Primary Health Care Sudarshini Fernandopulle said the drive will start with people over 60 years of age and people in the workforce aged between 30 and 60 years.

She said, 4,000 centres have been set up for this purpose. It is expected to operate from at least 2,000 centres daily and targeted to vaccinate about 300 people from each of these centres.

“We will be able to vaccinate 600,000 people in a day," she said.

Another consignment of vaccines would reach the country early March through the COVAX International Initiative.(Sunil Jayasiri)