No COVID vaccine, no bus travel in civic buses, says Thane mayor

Thane: “Those people who have not received even one shot of anti-COVID 19 vaccines will not be allowed to travel in the buses operated by the Thane Municipal Corporation,” city Mayor Naresh Mhaske said on Saturday.

This announcement comes days after the Thane civic body said its employees who have not taken even one dose of the vaccine will not be paid salaries.

“In a bid to meet the target of a cent percent vaccination by November-end, adopting various measures has become absolutely necessary,” a release quoted Mhaske as saying. It said the TMC had launched a door-to-door survey of vaccinated citizens.

“If anyone is found to be not vaccinated then the civic body gets them vaccinated immediately at their centres. Those travelling in the civic-run buses are required to carry with them a proof of vaccination or the universal travel pass, or else they will not be allowed to board these buses. Those people who have not received even one jab of anti-COVID 19 vaccines will not be allowed to travel in the buses operated by the Thane Municipal Corporation,” the release stated.

Till Friday, 86,00,118 people were vaccinated in the Thane district. A total of 56,00,856 of them had received the first jab and 29,99,262 were administered the second jab, as per the figures provided by the TMC.

On Monday, the TMC had said that its employees who have not taken even one dose of vaccine against COVID-19 will not be paid salaries. The civic employees who have not taken their second vaccine dose within the stipulated period will also not get their salaries.

Meanwhile, the TMC has decided to close two major COVID hospitals, one at Balkum and another at the Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad stadium, at Kausa in Mumbra.

This decision has been taken following the fall in the number of COVID-19 cases in Thane.

The Global hospital in Balkum, which is set to be closed now, was the first one to be inaugurated in Thane city limits when the pandemic broke out in 2020.

As of Friday, the infection count in the Thane district stood at 5,67,409, an official said on Saturday.