Vaccinate staff or face shutdown: Gujarat issues warning to businesses, asks them to vaccinate staff by June 30

As per government’s statement, the managers, owners and staff of any business/ professional establishments in these 18 cities have to be positively vaccinated by June 30. (File Photo: PTI)

COVID-19: The Gujarat government on Thursday issued a statement making it mandatory for managers, owners of business/ professional establishments to be vaccinated by June 30 in 18 cities and towns that remain under night curfew. By July 10, the rest of the state should be vaccinated. In a stern statement issued by the state information department, the government also warned that the units which don’t comply with the notice will face shutdown.

The statement comes following a core committee meeting chaired by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. The state government said night curfew would continue in 18 of the 36 cities and towns where the restrictions are currently in place. As per the statement the managers, owners and staff of any business/ professional establishments in these 18 cities have to be positively vaccinated by June 30. And rest of the staff in the remaining places can be vaccinated by July 10″, read the statement released by the state information department. “The fresh update regarding the night curfew extension or lifting restrictions in these 18 cities (including eight municipal corporations) will come into effect from June 27”, Chief Secretary Anil Mukim, part of core committee meeting, told The India Express.

These are the cities/ towns where night curfew between 10 pm–6 am has been extended : Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Vadodara, Surat, Bhavnagar, Gandhinagar, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Vapi, Ankleshwar, Valsad, Navsari, Mehsana, Bharuch, Patan, Morbi, Bhuj and Gandhidham.

The Gujarat government has further eased lockdown restrictions. Restaurants can offer services till 9 pm with 60 per cent seating capacity. Cinema halls, multiplexes and auditoriums can operate with 50 per cent capacity. Libraries with 60 per cent capacity. Up to 40 people can attend a funeral and weddings can have up to 100 guests. Political and religious events can take place with 50 per cent capacity; not more than 200 people.

Gujarat’s total number of covid cases stands at 8.23 lakh followed by 10,040 deaths.