Punjab introduces strict COVID vaccination policy: 'No jab, no salary for Govt employees'

Amid rising Omicron cases across the country, the Punjab government has introduced a strict COVID-19 vaccination policy - 'no vaccine, no salary' - stating that it is mandatory for all government employees to have at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine without proof of which they will not be given their salaries. 

The government employees have been asked to upload their vaccination certificates on the Punjab government's iHRMS (Integrated Human Resource Management System) website, a software that streamlines the salary payments and retirement benefit withdrawals of state government employees. After that, the salary will be credited automatically to the employee's designated bank account.

Notably, the government announcement comes at a time when India has recorded 213 cases of the Omicron variant across 15 states and UTs. 

COVID-19 cases in Punjab 

Meanwhile, on Monday, one more person died from the coronavirus in Punjab as the state reported 27 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking its total infection tally to 6,03,986, according to a medical bulletin.

As of December 20, 16,630 people died from the infection in the state. Among fresh cases, Jalandhar reported 10 cases, followed by six in Pathankot and three in Fatehgarh Sahib. The number of active cases was 298. Forty-four people recovered from the infection, taking the number of those who have been cured to 5,87,058, as per the bulletin. Chandigarh reported 14 COVID-19 cases, taking the total count to 65,717. The death toll, in Chandigarh, reached 1,078 with one more death in the city.

Omicron in India

India has recorded 213 cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus across 15 states and UTs so far out of which 90 people have recovered or migrated, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. 

Delhi has recorded the maximum of 57 cases of the Omicron variant followed by Maharashtra at 54, Telangana (24), Karnataka (19), Rajasthan (18), Kerala (15) and Gujarat (14).

The Union Health Ministry data updated at 8 am also informed that India has logged 6,317 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,47,58,481, while the active cases declined to 78,190, the lowest in 575 days.