Metro could open in Sept, but not schools

NEWDELHI: The government may allow the resumption of Metro services after over five months in September, when the fourth phase of a plan to restart businesses and activities restricted in view of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) kicks in, people familiar with the matter said.

In the new guidelines for “Unlock 4”, bars too might be allowed to open, but they could be restricted to running takeaway services and over-the-counter sale of alcohol, the officials said. Schools and colleges will continue to remain closed though there are talks of reopening the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITS) and the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM), the people cited above said.

According to deliberations in the ministry of home affairs (MHA) — which issues phasewise Covid-19 guidelines — and other concerned departments, cinema halls and auditoriums will continue to be closed at least for another month. There is a view that even if cinema halls are allowed, it will not be financially viable to run shows with just 25-30% capacity in view of socialdistancing norms.

Officials also said the new guidelines, expected later this week, will just mention the prohibited activities.

Anything beyond that ambit can resume. Containment zones, considered epicentres of Covid-19 infections, will continue to be under strict lockdown and monitoring.

The officials said social, political, sports, entertainment, academic, cultural and religious functions, and other large congregations, are likely to remain prohibited in September.

On Metro services, government officials said the modalities were still being worked out in consultation with the housing and urban affairs ministry (which operates the Delhi Metro), local governments, Metro rail corporations and security agencies.

“The new norms being drafted by the MHA on the resumption of Metro rail are likely to include contact-less ticketing through Metro cards, increase in the average stoppage time at each station, markings for queues across all stations for crowd control and social distancing, and an overhaul in the air-conditioning system inside trains to ensure supply of fresh air,” said an official who did not want to be named.

This official said Metro services, which have stopped since