‘Mandatory full vax rule for shops, malls, offices not practical’
MUMBAI: The state government’s mandate to compulsorily employ fully vaccinated staff in their premises has acted as a spoilsport for shopkeepers, offices and malls. Their contention is, though the move is noble, it is not practical as the state faces an acute shortage of vaccines. The state government, while easing lockdown restrictions, had announced that all those who are working in shops, offices and malls need to be fully vaccinated and must complete another 14 days after receiving the second dose.
The Chamber of Associations of Maharashtra Industries and Trade (CAMIT), an association of traders and manufacturers, said the order was impractical. “We appreciate the concerns of the government, but at the same time, we need to keep in mind that there is a shortage of vaccines,” said Mohan Gurnani, chairman, CAMIT.
Retailers Association of India (RAI) called the vaccination clause regressive. “Majority of the people working in malls are in the age bracket of 18-45 years. How can we resume the operations of malls if they are not allowed to come to work,” asked Kumar Rajgopalan, chief executive officer, RAI.
Even hotels and restaurants, that are now allowed to operate till 10pm, questioned the decision. “Till now, we were allowed to operate till 4pm without our staff getting vaccinated. Now after extending the timings by six hours, they want us to be fully vaccinated,” said Amrish Arora, managing director, Fountain Hospitality Private Limited (FHPL), which runs four restaurants including Flamboyante and Fountain Sizzlers, “We are ready to get our staff tested every 15 days,” he added.