Maharashtra vax rule for staff impractical, say mall and restaurant owners

Initial euphoria turns to dismay as new rules say staff need to have taken two vaccine doses and completed 14 days after the second. Only fully-vaccinated can visit malls 14 days after second jab

Retailers and restaurant owners are up in arms over a Maharashtra government diktat that allows them to function only with fully vaccinated staff from August 15 onwards.

In its submission to the government, the Retailers Association of India (RAI) said members would open stores by deputing staff that have been administered a single dose and would follow all standard operating procedures governing health and sanitation.

Anurag Katriar, president of the National Restaurant Association of India, said the new rule is more draconian than the existing conditions and will force outlets to either flout them or fold up.

On Wednesday, the state government introduced new guidelines, allowing malls, restaurants, and retail stores to function across the state till 10 pm. So far, malls had been shut in Mumbai, while restaurants could only serve dine-in guests till 4 pm.

While businesses greeted the decision, their optimism turned into dismay as the new regulations came with riders. The rules state that staff in restaurants, malls, and retail outlets need to have taken two doses of any Covid vaccine and completed 14 days after the second dose. Moreover, only the fully vaccinated can visit malls 14 days after their second dose.

RAI Chief Executive Officer Kumar Rajagopalan said the new rule is impractical. He said many workers are in 20-45 age group and still ineligible for the second jab due to the 84-day gap between doses.

“Even for customers, the two-dose requirement should be waived. They should be allowed entry into malls after a temperature check,” he added.

Free vaccination in the 18-44 age group was suspended by the state government on May 12, 11 days after the launch due to shortage of doses. The government began vaccinating people in the 30-44 age bracket from June 22 onwards. In the interim, those between 18 and 44 years old could get vaccinated only at private vaccination centres. Until now, a little over a million people in Maharashtra in the 18-44 age bracket have received both doses.

“We are disappointed with the government order. It is unreasonable to expect staff to get fully vaccinated by August 15,” rued Pradeep Shetty, joint honorary secretary, Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India.

Katriar said hotels and restaurants should be designated as priority sectors and enough vaccine doses must be provided to them for completing inoculation in three months. Binod Modi, head-strategy, Reliance Securities, said, “Relaxations in Maharashtra bode well for sectors like retail and hospitality."

"Further, resuming local train service for all the vaccinated is a sensible move, which can improve labour availability for construction projects. Companies, such as Jubilant FoodWorks, Burger King India, Specialty Restaurants, and Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail, are likely to be the key beneficiaries of the relaxation,” added Modi.