COVID-19: AEPC urges 8,000 member exporters to vaccinate workers, staff

Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) on Monday asked over 8,000 plus member exporters to get their workers and staff vaccinated soon.

"AEPC requests all its members to get their workers and staff Covid-19 vaccinated at the earliest and also requests them to use their CSR funds for setting up makeshift hospitals and temporary Covid Care facilities," said Dr A Sakthivel, AEPC Chairman.

AEPC said that industries have been instructed to coordinate with their respective state health departments for carrying out the vaccinations at their factory premises.

The Chairman issued a circular making the request based on a resolution passed in the Council's 267th Executive Committee meeting held on Friday, a day after the Textiles Minister Smriti Irani suggested AEPC to take the initiative in support of India's vaccination drive.

In a virtual meeting with Dr Sakthivel last Thursday, Textiles Minister Smriti Irani said that all the workers and staff working in the apparel factories should get vaccinated at the earliest.

"With an aim to support this initiative of the Minister of Textiles and Government of India, AEPC has asked its member exporters for carrying out vaccination of apparel sector workers," Dr Sakthivel said, adding that the industrial establishments would be able to procure vaccine doses from the manufacturers.

India has launched the biggest Covid-19 vaccination drive in which about 14 crore people have already been vaccinated. Further, from 1 May 2021, the third phase of India's Covid-19 vaccination drive will begin allowing all citizens of 18 years of age and above to get vaccines.

(ANI)

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