In the past one year, food delivery services have been exceedingly in demand. Dining out became increasingly difficult due to the Coronavirus pandemic; this is why many people opted for ordering food at home instead. Food delivery workers were considered a major part of the frontline workers, helping bring groceries and food essentials to countless homes. In April 2020, Google honoured the food service workers with a doodle dedicated to them. And now, food delivery platform Swiggy is planning to vaccinate over 2 lakh of its food delivery partners. This comes close to the Central government's announcement to begin the next phase of Covid vaccinations from 1st April for citizens aged 45 and above. Here's the official tweet:
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In a statement, Swiggy said that they will begin the programme with 5,500 delivery partners who are aged 45 and above. "By the end of the program, Swiggy hopes to encourage 2,00,000 plus delivery partners with the choice to get vaccinated as they continue to provide an essential service. Swiggy is also requesting authorities for the prioritisation of delivery partners in the vaccine drive," the statement said.
Swiggy COO Vivek Sunder explained that their delivery women and men had been a lifeline for the nation over the past year, delivering food and other essentials to millions of Indians during their time of need. Announcing this vaccination programme, Sunder said, " As we continue to make all efforts to fight the pandemic, we are prioritising creating awareness across our fleet and extending our Covid cover to include access to vaccination for all delivery partners. We will also cover for the loss of pay when they take the time off to get vaccinated."
Twitter users applauded Swiggy's gesture to cover the vaccine cost for its fleet of food delivery agents. Take a look at some reactions:
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Swiggy is also working with a healthcare partner to create awareness around the vaccine by conducting workshops and counselling sessions. The aim is to make food delivery agents aware about the precautions and requisite know-how prior to being vaccinated. "This is another step in doing our bit for our partners who are supporting not just themselves and their families but also the society as essential service providers."