Two malls in Saket are Delhi’s fully vaccinated markets

Delhi government declared two malls – Select City Walk and DLF Avenue, Saket – as the Capital’s first fully vaccinated markets, a south district administration official said on Friday, adding that everyone working in these malls, from sanitation workers, guards and parking staff to management officials, was vaccinated with both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Yogeshwar Sharma, CEO, Select City Walk, confirmed that everyone on their staff, whether on the payroll or hired by agencies, as well as those working in the mall stores was fully vaccinated.

Authorities said the Delhi government is running a campaign wherein everyone working at popular markets across the city is encouraged to get vaccinated at the earliest. All districts have been asked to organise camps in markets with a high footfall and ensure that all staff members are vaccinated at the earliest so that the markets can be declared fully vaccinated. GK-1 M Block and South Extension 1 markets (both under the jurisdiction of the south district) are likely to be soon declared fully vaccinated markets.

A south district official said that posters announcing that the mall staff is fully vaccinated have been put up at both malls to increase visitors’ confidence and make the place safer for them. “We are organising vaccination camps in markets wherein the staff is not fully vaccinated. Soon GK-1 M Block market and South Extension 1 market will get the fully vaccinated tag, and all big markets in the district will be declared fully vaccinated very soon,” said the official, seeking anonymity.

A revenue department official said that shopkeepers and market associations are encouraging their staff to get fully vaccinated and district authorities are also organising vaccination camps. “The purpose is to make markets safer for people working there and the customers visiting the markets. All districts have been asked to encourage the malls and markets to expedite the second dose for all those eligible for vaccination,” the official said.

Brijesh Goyal, chairman of the Chamber of Trade and Industry, an association of traders, said it was a welcome move and every trader will support it.