MUMBAI: The BMC plans to vaccinate all restaurant and hotel staff between the ages of 18 and 44 years and has sought data on the number of persons working in such establishments across the city.
In a circular issued on June 4, the BMC wrote to all its medical officers across the 24 wards in the city to collate data from their respective wards on the number of staff members at restaurants, hotels and similar businesses.
The data is to be submitted to the health department before 2 pm on Monday.
A BMC official said this comes in the wake of the BMC allowing the reopening of restaurants from Monday at 50% capacity till 4 pm.
“This needs to be done on priority considering that the hotel staff is in touch with several people who come into the establishment to dine or in case they are going to deliver food parcels,” the official said.
A meeting is to be held on Tuesday for the tabling of the information collated from the various wards.
In March, at the beginning of the second wave, the BMC had tested staff from Radha Krishna restaurant in Andheri and found 10 of the 35 Covid-positive.
In April, the BMC sealed Shobha Hotel on LJ Road in Mahim after 11 persons working in it tested positive, including the cook.
Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association (AHAR) vice-president Niranjan Shetty, who was present at a meeting with civic officials on Friday, said it would be best to get all staff vaccinated so that business can continue uninterrupted.
“If the civic body opens up the 18-44 years vaccination slots as well, they could be vaccinated at the civic centres itself,” Shetty said.
AHAR secretary Sukesh Shetty said they were willing to offer some of their banquet halls at different points in the city to vaccinate hotel staff.