Delhi, Maha ease more Covid-19 restrictions

Delhi and Maharashtra, two of the worstaffected in the second wave of the pandemic in the country, began easing restrictions on economic activities on Monday after Covid-19 infections continued to see a decline.

Markets, malls and the Metro were opened for the public on odd-even basis after seven weeks in Delhi, even as chief minister Arvind Kejriwal appealed to all to follow Covid-19 appropriate behaviour.

However, the markets and malls wore a dull and deserted look and only a few shops and outlets reopened. Only a few customers were seen in several markets as shopkeepers cleaned and sanitised their premises, hoping for more people to come and the situation to improve in the coming weeks.

According to the Delhi Disaster Management Authority, the ongoing lockdown, which had been imposed on April 19, has

been extended by one more week (up to June 14).

While many shops with odd numbers slowly opened their outlets on Monday, there were several others who chose to wait for a few more days to monitor the situation to finally restart their business. “Many activities are resuming in Delhi from today. But take all the precautions to prevent corona completely – wear a mask, keep social distance and keep washing hands, there should be no laxity at all,” Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi. The Capital reported 231 new instances of the Covid-19 infection on Monday, the lowest since March 2, while 36 more people succumbed to the disease. Maharashtra also begun unlocking in a graded manner from Monday as the state’s five-level plan to ease curbs came into effect. Mumbai falls in level-3 where all shops can open, restaurants can serve customers till 4pm on weekdays, private offices can be reopened with 50% staff, also till 4pm, and people can go for jogging and to gymnasiums, with certain conditions.

Although a state government notification allowed all women commuters to use local trains, the BMC on Saturday restricted the services to medical staff and a few essential sectors. However, commuters were able to travel by BEST buses provided with no standing passengers allowed. With offices opening up and trains not accessible for general public, several traffic jams and crowded buses were seen during peak hours in Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai.