KOLKATA: A suggestion that vaccine certificates be checked before allowing entry into malls and cinema halls by the 10-member expert committee set up to counter the third wave of Covid-19 has been backed by physicians and welcomed by the management of at least two malls in the city.
Doctors feel vaccination is another safety measure that may provide protection from infection in such large air-conditioned spaces that can potentially turn into transmission hotspots.
“If we want to decrease the intensity of the third wave, we have to be careful about transmission.
Any gathering in closed spaces without restrictions can turn into a super-spreading event.
Covid vaccination certificate can be a useful tool to prevent such spread,” said public health specialist at Swasthya Bhawan Anirban Dalui.
While a vaccinated person may still get infected, the chances of its severity is reduced.
Infectious diseases control specialist Debkishore Gupta said steps like regulating entry to only those who are vaccinated will stimulate the vaccination drive as people know that they will not get entry in these public places without the certificate.
Authorities at Acropolis and South City malls said they were ready to implement the no-vaccine-no-entry proposal as soon as the state issued a notification.
Terming the step an inevitable one to ensure safety, Acropolis Mall general manager K Vijayan said he felt proud to operate with a 100% vaccinated staff.
“Right now, I cannot stop a person who isn’t vaccinated from entering the mall.
But once there is a notification, I can ask customers to get vaccinated at the in-house facility first,” he said.
At South City mall, where the management had considered introducing the no-vaccine-no entry rule before backing out due to opposition from retailers, mall vice-president Manmohan Bagree said he was all for allowing only vaccinated adults to enter the facility.
“We are prepared to implement the system and are even looking at possible QR code readers at entrances to scan the certificates.
Till we have something like that in place, we can deploy additional manpower to check the certificates.
Those that aren’t vaccinated will be asked to go to the first floor of the parking area and get the shot,” said Bagree.
Apart from being vaccinated, people must behave in a Covid-appropriate manner, said Peerless Hospital microbiology and molecular biology lab head Bhaskar Narayan Chaudhuri.
“It is important that people wear masks properly and maintain distance,” he said.