Punjab CM announces govt employees to be sent on leave from September 15 if not vaccinated
Special efforts were made to reach out to government personnel, and those who refuse to be vaccinated would now be ordered to take time off until they receive their first shot, he added.
FollowEmployees of the Punjab government who have already received the first dose of the Covid vaccination for reasons other than medical necessity will be forced to take a vacation after September 15, Captain Amarinder Singh, the Chief Minister, announced this stern action on Friday. The Chief Minister stated at the high-level virtual Covid review conference that vaccination efficacy is clear from analysed data. Special efforts were made to reach out to government personnel, and those who refuse to be vaccinated would now be ordered to take time off until they receive their first shot, he added.
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Captain Amarinder also permitted teaching and non-teaching school personnel who had received at least one dose of vaccination more than four weeks earlier to return to work, subject to the submission of weekly RT-PCR negative test findings. On the other hand, those with co-morbidities would be allowed only once they have been appropriately vaccinated, he noted. School Education Secretary Krishan Kumar previously stated that only fully vaccinated staff members are permitted to enter schools.
Health Minister Balbir Sidhu proposed that the interval for the second dosage for school personnel be decreased to 28 days, but Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan informed the committee that the Centre had rejected the state's proposal to classify them as vital services. The Chief Minister expressed pleasure that the situation in schools has been brought under control through vigorous testing.Â
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In August, samples from 3,21,969 school children and 33,854 teaching and non-teaching personnel were gathered across a total of 5,799 schools, and 158 instances have tested positive so far, accounting for a positivity rate of barely 0.05 per cent, he noted. Health Minister Balbir Sidhu requested the Chief Minister to ensure that enough vaccinations are available to vaccinate all eligible individuals before the festivities. The Chief Minister stated that he would take the issue up with the Union Health Minister, who had previously guaranteed more supplies. He instructed the Health Department to guarantee that all employees at sweetshops, kiosks, dhabas, and other establishments receive at least one dosage of the flu vaccine.
