Punjab govt staff to be sent on leave for vaccine hesitancy
Darpan News Desk IANS, 10 Sep, 2021 11:55 AM
Chandigarh, Sep 10 (IANS) Punjab government employees failing to take even the first dose of Covid vaccine for any reason other than medical will be compulsorily sent on leave after September 15.
This strong measure was announced on Friday by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to protect the people of the state from the disease, and to ensure that those who are vaccinated do not have to pay the price for continued vaccine hesitancy of those who are not.
At a virtual Covid-19 review meeting, the Chief Minister said vaccine effectiveness is evident from the data being analysed. Special efforts were made to reach out to the government employees, and those who continue to avoid getting vaccinated will now be asked to go on leave till they get the first dose.
Amarinder Singh also allowed teaching and non-teaching school staff who had taken at least one dose of vaccine more than four weeks ago to resume duties, subject to submission of weekly RT-PCR negative test reports. However, all those with co-morbidities shall only be allowed once they are fully vaccinated, he added.
School Education Secretary Krishan Kumar earlier pointed out that currently only fully vaccinated staff members are allowed to come to schools.
Health Minister Balbir Sidhu suggested that the gap for the second dose be reduced for the school staff to 28 days but Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan informed the meeting that the Centre had rejected the state's request to allow them to be treated as essential services.
The Chief Minister noted with satisfaction that with aggressive testing, the situation in schools had remained under control.
As many as 321,969 school students along with 33,854 teaching and non-teaching staff samples have been taken in the month of August, across 5,799 schools, and a total of 158 cases have tested positive so far, which accounts for a positivity rate of only 0.05 per cent, he added.
Citing the latest zero-survey, he revealed that for children in the age group of 6-17 years, the positivity was at 60 per cent, and it was higher in the age bracket of 14-17 years.
It was spread equally across gender and place of residence, as per the survey, which has confirmed "that our children, even though affected by Covid, have remained largely safe from serious disease," noted the Chief Minister.
The Health Minister urged the Chief Minister to ensure availability of sufficient vaccines to ensure vaccination of all eligible people before the festivals.
The Chief Minister said he will pursue the matter with the Union Health Minister, who had earlier assured him of additional supplies. He directed the Health Department to ensure that all staff at sweet shops, kiosks, dhabas, etc., are vaccinated with at least one dose.
Noting that the state had already vaccinated more than 57 per cent of the eligible population, with the first dose administered to 1.18 crore and second to 37.81 lakh people, Amarinder Singh ordered further intensification of the vaccination drive.
Teachers, parents of young children and vendors should be given priority for inoculation against Covid, he directed.
The Chief Minister expressed satisfaction at the fact that the vaccine stocks supplied to the state had been utilised without any wastage.
Its convenor and founder K.C. Singh, a former envoy to the United Arab Emirates, and Iran, said the manch wants to focus on challenges facing Punjab today and take the people's views.
Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday hailed the victory of his party in the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) elections as "a forceful referendum of the Khalsa Panth in favour of the panthic identity and religious commitment of the party".
Ranjit Singh, a former follower of Ram Rahim, was shot dead by four assailants on July 10, 2002, in Kurukshetra after he allegedly "raised his voice" against the self-styled godman, who is currently lodged at the high-security Sunaria jail in Rohtak, 250 kms from state capital Chandigarh.
Bharatiya Janata Party chief J P Nadda on Tuesday asked the Congress national leadership to clarify their stand on whether they support the remarks on Kashmir and Pakistan made by party leaders in Punjab. Nadda said that the silence of the Congress leadership will be seen as being implicit to such objectionable remarks.
The farmers union leaders had earlier pointed out that Punjab had failed to hike sugarcane SAP in proportion to Haryana over this period, causing fiscal losses to them.
The Punjab Congress leaders who have distanced themselves from the so-called festering revolt in the party are: Kuldeep Vaid, Dalvir Singh Goldie, Santokh Singh, Angad Singh, Raja Warring and Gurkirat Singh Kotli, all MLAs, and Bhalaipur Ajit Singh Mofar, a former MLA.
