Mumbai: Many malls stay closed, cite lack of vaccine certificate

Two days after malls across the city opened with much excitement many of them halted operations on Tuesday after the government said that it was mandatory for their staff as well as customers to be fully vaccinated with a 14day cooling period Malls said most of their staff are in the 1844 age category and are yet to get the second dose Shops in the malls had opened on August 15 believing that their staff could work even with one doseAccording to a circular issued by the state government on Tuesday evening all employees including managers housekeeping staff customers and others entering a mall must have a valid final Covid vaccination certificate showing that 14 days have passed after the second dose The government said children below 18 years of age can enter malls by showing proof of ageSachin Dhanawade the chief operating officer of Grauer amp Weil India Limited which operates Growelrsquos 101 mall at Kandivli said ldquoThe condition relating to mall and retail staff employees to be fully vaccinated is difficult to fulfil as a large majority of them fall below 45 years of age The vaccination for those under 45 years of age resumed on June 21 Furthermore the central government also extended the gap between two doses for Covishield Most mall staff are therefore partially vaccinated one dose having taken their first dose in the last 3045 days and malls will not be able to operate before SeptemberendrdquoA deserted Inorbit mall at Malad on Tuesday after the government issued the circular PicAnurag AhireHe said malls in the city have sought a meeting with government authorities to overcome the situation so that the livelihoods that depend on the mall ecosystem can be protected Along with Growelrsquos Phoenix R City and Inorbit malls shut on TuesdayKumar Rajagopalan CEO of Retailers Association of India RAI said ldquoConsidering the impact of the prolonged closures on employment in malls the commissioner of Mumbai had indicated that the guidelines applicable for the city would be reviewed to allow employees working in malls to resume work with at least one vaccination We do believe that the state governmentrsquos Break the Chain revised notification may need to be modifiedrdquoViren Shah president of Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association said ldquoVaccines are not available easily and there is a compulsory gap of 84 days between doses Then how can the government expect people to be fully vaccinated The government should reduce the gap between the two doses for mall employees like they did for students going to study abroad and pregnant ladies on recommendation from doctorsrdquoAsif Jivani a shopkeeper at Kandivlirsquos Raghuleela mall said that they resumed business as they thought that one dose was enough ldquoOur mall has remained open today The vaccination drive has been arranged to give the first dose to every employee and staff but the second dose can be given only after 84 days How can we now operaterdquoGrowelrsquos 101 mall on Aug 15 City malls said they had hoped that their staff and customers would be allowed with one dose PicSatej ShindeIn a statement issued for retailers the Phoenix Palladium mall said two vaccination doses plus 14 days were mandatory for all staff working at the mall directly and indirectly ldquoKindly ensure that you also adhere to this norm and only staff meeting above conditions will be allowedrdquo it said Phoenix mall at Kurla also issued the same statement for its retailersldquoNo state other than Maharashtra has such strict rules despite a high number of cases Most of the states allowed malls to be open within 45 days after the second wave Going as the latest order of the Maharashtra government malls cannot be open before midSeptember Smaller malls cannot be sustained as it is almost 17 months of closurerdquo said Rajneesh Mahajan chief executive officer Inorbit Malls India Pvt Ltd and a director of Shopping Centre Association of IndiaHe added that they have been talking with the authorities and are ready to adhere rule of one vaccination ldquoMalls are the safest place where the crowd can be managed and thousands are people are depending on them for livelihoodrdquo14Days after 2nd dose a person can enter work in malls15Day of this month when malls had reopened