Haryana to only permit fully vaccinated shoppers to enter malls from January 1, 2022

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Dec 23, 2021

The state of Haryana will only allow fully vaccinated people into shopping malls, local markets, restaurants, and cinemas from January 1, 2022, Haryana’s Health and Home Minister Anil Vij announced on December 22. 

“From January 1, 2022, any eligible person who has not taken both doses of a Covid vaccine will not be permitted in malls, hotels, restaurants, marriage palaces, cinema halls, offices, banks or any such places which attracts crowds,” said Vij at the Haryana Assembly on Wednesday, the Press Trust of India reported. 
 
Both staff and civilians visiting Government offices and students at colleges and polytechnics who are over 18 will have to be vaccinated. This will also be the case for those travelling by rickshaw, bus, and train and attending public gatherings, the state government announced. 

The government hopes that mandatory vaccination in shopping centres will increase footfall as shoppers will be more confident of their safety as the new Covid-19 variant Omicron spreads across the country. However, some retailers fear that barring unvaccinated shoppers could harm their businesses. 
 
Vij stated that the measure has been enforced to encourage Haryana’s citizens to take a second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. Currently around 60% of the state’s population has had two vaccine shots compared to 93% having had the first dose, according to Vij.