In Gujarat's Surat, people yet to take 2nd dose of Covid-19 vaccine to be barred from public spaces

The rule, which will come into place from November 15, will also bar such people from boarding the city BRT buses.

People in Gujarat’s Surat, who are yet to take their second dose of a coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccine, will not be allowed to enter public spaces such as gardens and zoos, the city’s municipal corporation has announced. The rule, the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) said, will come into effect from November 15.

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“At least 668,000 people in Surat are yet to take their second dose of a Covid-19 vaccine despite crossing their due date to do so. In many cases, they have not taken their second dose even though it has been around 250 days since the day they were to receive their second jab, and this gap is only increasing. And all this is despite repeated calls, messages and door-to-door campaigns,” news agency PTI quoted Surat Municipal Commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani as saying.

Therefore, it has been decided to bar such people from entering public places, the official said. “They will not be allowed to enter public gardens, parks, zoos, aquariums, science centres etc. They will not be allowed to board the city BRT buses as well,” the Municipal Commissioner further said.

According to the civic body, Surat has vaccinated around 62 per cent beneficiaries with both doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, which means that those inoculated have completed full vaccination against the viral illness.

According to the Gujarat health department, a total of 426,000 vaccine doses were administered in the state on Saturday, taking the total number of doses administered thus far to 74.1 million. 37 more people in the western state tested positive, of which eight cases were detected in Surat. The cumulative infection tally stands at 826,924, including an unchanged death toll of 10,090. Recovered and active cases, meanwhile, are at 816,608 and 226 respectively.