Chandigarh bans partially jabbed adults in public places from Jan 1

In case any adult, with overdue second dose is found, they will be fined ₹500, the Chandigarh administration said in its order

From January 1, 2022, people who are yet to receive both doses of Covid-19 vaccine will not be allowed in public places in Chandigarh and will face a ₹500 fine, the UT administration said on Friday.

Around 1.48 lakh people, who have taken their first dose of Covid-19 vaccines from healthcare facilities in Chandigarh, have not turned up for the second jab. (HT Photo)

Stating that a large number of beneficiaries in Chandigarh are due and overdue for their second dose of vaccine, UT adviser Dharam Pal issued a notice and said, “Considering emergent issues, people who are not fully vaccinated are required to take more precautions. In public places with large gatherings, like vegetable and grain markets, public transport, parks, religious places, malls, shopping complexes, markets and other similar places, only fully vaccinated adults will be allowed from January 1. In case any adult, with overdue second dose is found, they will be fined ₹500. Non-payment of the fine will attract proceedings under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code.”

The UT adviser directed the deputy commissioner and senior officials to ensure implementation and compliance of the orders.

“Also, all government, board and corporation offices in Chandigarh should only allow fully vaccinated adults or those who are not due for second dose as per health protocol. Government and private banks, hotels, bars, restaurants, malls, shopping complexes, cinema halls, and gym and fitness centres should follow the same guidelines,” the notice further read.

The UT administration said people should download their vaccination certificate from the CoWIN portal and keep its hard or soft copies, to present them when needed. Those without smartphones can show the text message regarding the vaccination status. The status on Aarogya Setu app will also be considered.

1.48 lakh people missed second dose

According to the latest electoral list and the central government’s set target, around 8.43 lakh people are to be immunised in Chandigarh. As on Friday, 9,62,223 (114%) people, including migrants, have taken their first shot in Chandigarh, while 7,04,901 (83%) are fully vaccinated.

However, around 1.48 lakh people, who have taken their first dose of Covid-19 vaccines from healthcare facilities in Chandigarh, have not turned up for the second jab even after completion of the recommended vaccine time gap. The overdue number was as high as 1.87 lakh in the initial days of December.

Over 40,000 people in Chandigarh are also due for the second dose, but they have not completed the 16-week time gap yet.

UT health secretary Yashpal Garg said, “Vaccination has been demonstrated to be effective against emerging variants of concern in reducing mortality and transmission. Vaccination is for people’s own benefit and yet their hesitancy is forcing us to impose restrictions.”

18 test positive in tricity

As many as 18 fresh Covid-19 cases were reported in the tricity on Friday, after 19 cases for the past three days.

Chandigarh logged 12 cases, followed by four from Mohali and two from Panchkula. No Covid-related fatality was reported. Currently, 195 patients are still infected in the tricity. Among them, 103 are in Chandigarh, 47 in Panchkula and 45 in Mohali.