The Centre’s new guidelines for the next phase of the lockdown will bring substantial relief for Delhi as most economic activities are set to be permitted in the national capital.
Sources have told News18 that the Delhi government will allow most activities outside containment zones, keeping in line with the Centre’s recommendations.
Among the economic activities likely to resume in Delhi from Monday are opening of markets and plying of buses, sources said. However, around 20 passengers will be allowed in a bus to maintain social-distancing norms.
More liquor shops too are likely to start operating during the fourth phase of lockdown as the Delhi government had allowed around 150 state-run shops to open during the third phase of restrictions. There are around 850 liquor shops in Delhi.
However, the changes will only come into effect from Tuesday, and not Monday, as the state government will have to issue a notification identifying different zones and permitted activities.
Delhi, which has reported 9,333 confirmed Coronavirus cases so far and has an official death toll of 129, has 76 containment zones.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the Centre's guidelines were largely in line with the proposal sent by Delhi government based on suggestions of lakhs of Delhiites.
"We have used the lockdown period to prepare our healthcare system if Corona cases increase, but it is now time to relax the restrictions to some extent," he tweeted.
In the third phase of the lockdown, the Centre had designated all 11 districts in the capital as red zones, which meant that none of the relaxations granted to orange and green zone districts were applicable to Delhi. The Delhi government had earlier demanded that the entire city may not be declared as red zone and instead COVID-19 cases be categorised by municipal wards and not by districts.
For the fourth phase of the lockdown, the Centre has left it to the state governments to demarcate red, green and orange zones.
Comments
0 comment