No salary fr unvaccinated Punjab state government employees

The Punjab government has issued a new order stating that government employees who do not provide their COVID-19 vaccination certificate will not be paid their salary.

To receive their salaries, employees must upload their vaccination certificates to the Punjab government's job portal. The move comes in the wake of rising cases of coronavirus variant Omicron across the country. The Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij also said that people who have not been fully immunised against COVID-19 will be barred from entering public places in the state after January 1.

So far, India has reported over 200 cases of the new variant, which was discovered in South Africa. So far, 213 cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus have been reported in the country, according to the Union Health Ministry. With 57 confirmed cases, Delhi topped the list, followed by Maharashtra (54 cases) and Telangana (24 cases). 

How does the Omicron variant differ from other variants? 

Even though in early stages, based on the information available, WHO stated that it is likely that the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 will cause a very high transmission in the community, compared to other variants. It is also suggested that there might be a small reduction in the effectiveness of vaccines against severe illness and death and a decline in preventing mild disease and infection. Also, early evidence suggests that previous infection could offer less protection against Omicron. 

How to protect oneself in the wake of Omicron?

• Cover your nose and mouth with a mask. When putting on and removing your mask, make sure your hands are clean.
• Maintain a physical distance of at least one metre between yourself and others.
• Avoid places that are poorly ventilated or crowded.
• Open windows to improve indoor ventilation.
• Regularly wash your hands.
• Get vaccinated.