Nagaland asks staff to get vaccinated or show no-Covid report for salary

The Nagaland government on

Saturday said that it will not allow employees posted in the civil secretariat and directorate offices to join duty and stop their salaries if they are not vaccinated against coronavirus or fail to provide Covid negative certificates every 15 days.

The High Powered Committee (HPC) on COVID-19 made the decision on Friday in the interests of public health and safety, Chief Secretary J Alam said in an order.

"All employees/staff in the Nagaland Civil Secretariat and Directorates will be required to be vaccinated to attend office, or to produce COVID-19 negative test report by getting tested every 15-days through either RT-PCR, TruNat, or CBNAAT on self-payment basis as per government approved rates," the order stated.

The salaries of those who have not taken a single dose of the vaccine against coronavirus or who will fail to furnish COVID-19 negative test report will be stopped beyond July 31, 2021, and they would not attend office, it said.

The period of absence of such employees will be treated as leave without pay, the order said.

The chief secretary directed the head of departments in the secretariat and directorates to enforce the directive and submit a report to the Home Department on or before 15th of every month giving in detail the status of vaccination or submission of Covid-19 negative test report of all employees, and the salaries deducted until further notice.

Meanwhile, Nagaland would be entering into the Unlock-3 phase from Sunday.

The chief secretary issued another order extending the ongoing lockdown measures for 15 more days from July 18 to August 1 in the state with further relaxations.

Colleges are allowed to reopen from July 26 provided all teaching and non-teaching staff have taken both doses of Covid vaccine or at least 15 days have passed since they were administered the first dose, the order said.

Schools are also allowed to reopen for classes 11 and 12 from August 2 if the same conditions as for the colleges are met, it said.

A government spokesperson on Friday had said that schools would be allowed to reopen for classes 11 and 12 from July 26.

Social, political, religious and other gatherings are allowed to a maximum of 50 people when the events are held indoors, and a maximum of 100 people when they are conducted outdoors, subject to strict adherence to Covid appropriate behaviours.

Restaurants can resume operations at 50 per cent capacity if the employees are fully vaccinated or at least a fortnight has passed after they took the first dose, the order said.

District authorities have been asked to map areas for micro-containment zones in case the situation so warrants, as per the detailed guidelines to be issued.

The order stated that returnees and travellers entering the state who are asymptomatic and fully vaccinated will not be tested for COVID-19 at the point of entry or quarantined.

Those who have taken the first dose of the vaccine and at least 15 days have passed since taking it will be quarantined for seven days, the order said.

The chief secretary also asked District Task Forces to enforce that people like shopkeepers, barbers and taxi drivers display their vaccination status.