Punjab Government employees, failing to take even the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine for any reason other than medical, will be compulsorily sent on leave after September 15.
The strong measure was announced on Friday by the Chief Minister Capt 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 the high-level virtual Covid review meeting, the Chief Minister said that vaccine effectiveness is evident from the data being analysed. “Special efforts are taken to reach out to Government employees, and those who continue to avoid getting vaccinated will now be asked to go on leave till they get the first dose,” said the Chief Minister.
WEEKLY RT-PCR NEGATIVE TEST REPORTS MANDATORY EVEN FOR TEACHERS
Capt Amarinder 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 comorbidities 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 a gap for the second dose to be reduced for the school staff to 28 days, but the 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 3,21,969 school students along with 33,854 teaching and non-teaching staff samples have been taken in the month of August, across a total of 5,799 schools, and a total of 158 cases have tested positive so far, which accounts for a positivity rate of only 0.05 percent, he added.
Citing the latest sero-survey, he revealed that for children in the age group of six-17 years, the positivity was at 60 percent, 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.
CM TO TAKE UP ISSUE OF SUFFICIENT VACCINES AVAILABILITY WITH CENTRE
Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu urged the Chief Minister to ensure availability of sufficient vaccines to ensure vaccination of all eligible people before the festivals.
The Chief Minister said that 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 sweetshops, kiosks, dhabas etc are vaccinated with at least one dose. Noting that the state had already vaccinated more than 57 percent of the eligible population, with the first dose administered to 1.18 crore and second to 37.81 lakh people, Capt Amarinder 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.
COVID CURBS EXTENDED TILL SEPT 30
In view of the upcoming festival season, Punjab Government on Friday ordered extension of the existing COVID-19 restrictions till September 30, with a limit of 300 on all gatherings, including political, and strict enforcement of wearing of masks as well as social distancing.
The Government has also made it mandatory for organisers, including political parties, to ensure that participants, management, and staff at food stalls etc in festival related events are fully vaccinated, or at least have had a single dose.
Calling for continued vigil in the light of the festivals, the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh urged all political parties to lead by example, while directing the state DGP to ensure compliance of restrictions by all.
Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta said that with case load decreasing, people had started being lax on the masks front, which the Health Department should strictly enforce with the help of the police.
Capt Amarinder also directed the Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan to make joint administration-police flying squads in each district to ensure compliance at restaurants, marriage palaces etc.
FIRST STATE TO OPEN ANGANDWADIS, SUBJECT TO STAFF VACCINATION OR OTHER GUIDELINES
Chairing a virtual high-level COVID review meeting, the Chief Minister also directed the Department of Social Security to prepare to open Anganwari Centres within this month, making Punjab the first State to do so. The opening of these centres will be subject to vaccination of staff and other guidelines to be worked out jointly with the Health Department.
INCREASE TESTSING TO 50K/DAY
The Chief Minister also ordered an increase in testing from the current 45,000 per day to at least 50,000 per day as a part of the preparations for the possible third wave. Along with sentinel testing, outreach camps and testing should be taken up, especially where public gathering is expected to take place on account of the festival season, he directed, adding that all infrastructure augmentation works should also be expedited and completed.
Pointing out that the GIS-based surveillance and prevention tool with an auto trigger mechanism for localised restrictions was now live in all districts, Capt Amarinder further directed the Health Department to take micro-containment measures using these tools for areas or localities where cases are more than five.
NEED TO PREPARE FOR THIRD WAVE, FESTIVE SEASON: DR TALWAR
DR KK Talwar, head of the state’s COVID expert committee, said that while the situation currently was under control, there was need to prepare for the third wave, and also for the upcoming festival season.
He urged the Chief Minister to appeal to all religious organizations to make regular announcements from temples and Gurdwaras for wearing of masks. Market committees should be asked to do the same in view of the crowds expected in markets, he suggested, adding that shopkeepers and their staff should also be tested more aggressively on account of the festival season.
Noting that the cases of Mucormycosis had come down substantially, with only one case reported last week, the Chief Minister expressed satisfaction that Punjab was also doing much better than several other states, including Haryana, in terms of the number of persons cured.
Overall positivity in the State has also remained low – at 0.1 percent from September 1 to 9, said the state Health Secretary Alok Shekhar.
In terms of variants of concern, the month-wise whole genome sequencing sent to NCDC showed that the Delta variant remains predominant, the Chief Minister said, adding that the Whole Genome Sequencing Lab at GMCH Patiala in association with PATH had started operations, and 67 total samples had been tested already and have not shown the presence of any new variant.