GOVT FIRM ON STAFF VAX, MAHA MALLS SHUT AGAIN
Malls in Maharashtra downed shutters on Tuesday barely two days after reopening due to non-compliance with the state government’s double vaccination rule.
Last Wednesday, the Maharashtra government allowed malls, restaurants and stores across the state to remain open till 10 pm from August 15. However, the relaxations came with a rider — that only fully vaccinated staff be deployed. For malls, the government said even customers needed to be fully vaccinated.
On Monday, the state government amended its order allowing unvaccinated persons aged under 18 to visit malls, but made no change in the other conditions.
While restaurants and other retail outlets remain open, industry associations say it is impossible to open malls under the existing rule since over 80 per cent of the staff has received only a single dose of the vaccine. “More than 80 per cent of our workforce falls in the age-group of 18-44 years. The primary reason for the inability of the staff to take both doses was the supply constraints witnessed by the state,” Shopping Centres Association of India (SCAI) said in a statement.
There are around 50 malls in the state, including 35 in Mumbai, and they employ over 200,000 persons.
The Retailers Association of India had suggested that malls be opened with staff who have taken at least one dose of the vaccine. The malls did open on Sunday, hoping for a relaxation, but were forced to close again as the government stuck to its stance. “It is back to square one for now. We hope good sense will prevail,” said Kumar Rajagopalan, CEO, Retailers Association of India.
“Shopping malls in the state have been shut for more than 270 of the 345 days since the pandemic struck, resulting in huge, irrecoverable losses,” SCAI said, adding, “With the prevailing restrictions, malls will not be able to open and operate as it would be at least a month (tentatively Septemberend) before a sizeable number of our staff gets their second dose and meets the criteria, provided it is available and there is no shortage.”
The state government had suspended free vaccination for the 18-44 age group on May 12, barely 11 days after launching it, due to shortage of doses. The government began vaccinating people in the 30-44 age bracket from June 22. In the interim, those in the 18-44 age group could get vaccinated only at a private vaccination centre. Until now, a little over 1.2 million persons in Maharashtra in this age bracket have received both the doses.