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Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) - Around 60,000 homeless people in North Rhine-Westphalia are to be vaccinated against Corona, according to calculations by the Free Welfare Service NRW.

In some municipalities, those affected have already been vaccinated, said the spokesman for the specialist committee at risk, Andreas Sellner, on request.

According to estimates, a total of around ten percent would have already received the prick in the upper arm.

The state of North Rhine-Westphalia primarily wants to use the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for homeless and homeless people because the preparation only has to be administered once. Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann announced on Friday that NRW had received 48,000 vaccine doses from Johnson & Johnson. The EU Medicines Agency (EMA) had given the green light for the US manufacturer's corona vaccine after a renewed review.

With the Johnson & Johnson tranche intended for North Rhine-Westphalia, mobile teams in districts and urban districts were supposed to vaccinate people “on the street” who do not live in communal accommodation or residential facilities.

The permanently accessible housing and homeless could also be vaccinated with other drugs that would have to be administered twice, Sellner said.

"There is no wild vaccination here - everything is very precisely planned and closely coordinated."

The plan is to have the vaccination campaign “completely done” by the beginning of May at the latest.

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At the same time, the accommodations are regularly tested for the corona virus.

Those who show symptoms will be separated, said Sellner.

According to the ministry, no homeless shelters have yet to be closed due to corona cases.

As a protective measure, the occupancy density has been halved.

Alternative accommodation options have been opened up for the people.

According to the ministry, the opening times of the emergency shelters have in some cases been extended to 24 hours so that people can stay there during the day.

Some facilities have provided quarantine areas and "hospital apartments".

As before the Corona crisis, those in need would also be accommodated in hotels and pensions.

In addition, offers of unoccupied youth hostels would be made to the municipalities.

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210424-99-333987 / 2