Nepal’s leading online shopping marketplace, Daraz, has initiated COVID-19 vaccinations for all of its frontline and delivery workers in collaboration with the Department of Health Services (DoHS). Owned by the Alibaba Group, Daraz operates in 5 South Asian Markets including Nepal. At present, Daraz employs 600+ people across various cities in Nepal alone. Around half of them are frontline workers working primarily in logistics and delivery services.

The company flew employees from 8 different locations nationwide in and out of Kathmandu over the course of the last 2 weeks in order to facilitate the vaccination program.

Since the rise of COVID-19, e-commerce companies  and its respective frontline workers, have been playing a crucial role in making sure customers have access to what they need without having to leave their homes. This is an important initiative not only for the health and safety of Daraz employees, but for the communities where they live and work. 

“We’re glad that we could execute the vaccination initiative in collaboration with the department of health services here in Nepal. Local authorities deserve praise for taking a progressive decision to protect the ones who are on the frontline every single day. E-commerce companies have been an integral part of sustaining the economy in Nepal and around the world. Nearly 10,000 sellers sustain their businesses while at the same time millions of customers are able to shop safely via Daraz. Without our frontline teams, especially our delivery riders, this would not be possible. Hence, it is an important step to keep society safe amidst a potential second wave of the pandemic,” said Lino Ahlering, Managing Director, Daraz Nepal.

Frontline workers form the backbone of the company, and are at most risk of contracting COVID-19 . Thus, the riders and front line workers were the first ones to receive the COVID-19 vaccine within the company.

“Being vaccinated means protecting yourself from the virus so you can be there for your family, friends & colleagues. I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Daraz for arranging and executing the vaccination drive on a very short notice especially for those who operate outside the KTM valley. ” said Hub Supervisor, Vishal Shrestha who received the first dose of the Verocell vaccine.

Daraz has and will continue to follow strict hygiene measures to ensure safety of all its employees. The internal structure of the company has been reshaped to make sure all our actions were in compliance with the standard guidelines. From routine temperature checks, to social distancing, Daraz is making sure that it provides a safe working environment for all its employees.