Odisha: Sundargarh, an Odisha district, which reported about 40,000 cases of Covid-19 during the second wave of the pandemic in April and May this year, has announced that owners of businesses and shops of the town who have not been vaccinated may not be allowed to reopen their establishments now. Sundargarh sub-collector AbhimanyuBehera said as per the order issued by Sundargarh district collector and administrator of Sundargarh municipality Nikhil Pawan Kalyan, owners of businesses and shops of the town who have not been vaccinated may not be allowed to open their establishments now.

“The first norm of the Covid-19 management protocols is that it is executed for the welfare of the public, so people need to be aware and cooperate with the authorities, be it for enforcement of guidelines or vaccination. The initiative is aimed at motivating people to align with the norms of the government, especially some sections of people who are hesitant about the inoculation drive,” Behera said.

“Shopkeepers who have not received jabs and also not ensured vaccination to their sales executives will not be allowed to open their businesses,” he added.

Odisha government on Wednesday announced relaxations in lockdown restrictions in 17 of the 30 districts, including Sundargarh, by allowing traders to open their shops between 6 am and 5 pm as the positivity rate (ratio of a total number of cases for the day to number of samples tested) and Covid-19 caseload had come down in those places. Sundargarh, which in April and May saw a positivity rate of over 40% with an active caseload of 10,000 in May has now reported a positivity rate of 4.5% and 1,682 active cases.

Officials said the decision to enforce vaccination was meant to motivate more people to take part in the vaccination drive to defeat Covid-19. Last week, some shopkeepers in Hinjili area of Ganjam district offered a discount of at least 5% to fully vaccinated people upon purchase of groceries. “The district administration suggested we do something for those taking jabs. So we decided to offer a discount,” said DuryodhanSahu, a trader.