Give Mumbai doses first, then make vaccination must: Restaurateurs to Maharashtra govt

Most of the staffers at restaurants belong to the 18-44 years age group whose vaccination started late. File pics

First, give us vaccines, then make being vaccinated mandatory for our staff, hoteliers and restaurateurs are saying, as the government recently gave relaxations with riders. While restaurants have been allowed to operate till 10 pm, they have to also ensure that all their staff is fully vaccinated. Representatives of restaurateurs and hoteliers feel that the relaxations still make running a business difficult and are planning to make a representation to the government.

According to the State's new circular issued on Wednesday, only fully vaccinated staff, who have completed 14 days after their vaccination, can work at hotels. However, hoteliers and restaurateurs are facing logistical difficulty as a majority of their staff falls in the age group of 18 to 44 years and since this group's inoculation started late, many are yet to complete the 84-day interval to get the second dose. As such, businesses are left without a workforce.

Tweak is haphazard

Further, businessmen have also called the tweak haphazard - where currently, full vaccination is not necessary to operate till 4 pm but to operate till 10 pm, it is mandatory. With Covaxin, where both doses can be taken in an interval of 28 days, being unavailable, one is left only with Covishield where the interval is 84 days.
Restaurant associations said that had they been allowed to take the second dose of Covishield after 28 days, all their staff could have been vaccinated, but that too, is not possible as centres are running dry. Further, to the dismay of the hoteliers, the BMC is yet to issue a circular regarding the relaxation.

Shivanand Shetty of AHAR (Indian Hotel & Restaurant Association), said, "We will soon be seeking an appointment with the chief minister about the vaccine mandate as it is making our businesses even more difficult. Our staff is not yet fully vaccinated, the shortage of vaccines across the city is another problem. Even now, the public centres are shut. How are we supposed to vaccinate our staff? First, vaccines should be made available and then the mandate of vaccines should be stated in the circular."

14
Days hotel staff must complete after vax to be able to work