Delhi’s gradual unlock to start from Monday
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday announced that construction sector and factories can resume operations from Monday, when a phased unlocking of the Capital will begin after a devastating surge in Covid-19 forced the city into shutting down all but essential services on April 19.
The announcement came as the city recorded 1,141 new cases from 71,853 tests – which translated to a test positivity rate of under 2% for the third consecutive day. This number has been falling since first reducing to under 5% on May 21. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers a positivity rate of under 5% for two weeks to consider an outbreak as having been brought under control.
Kejriwal said that in one month, Delhi has controlled the latest Covid-19 wave to a large extent and that there is no shortage of hospitals, Intensive Care Unit beds and medical oxygen at present. “So, we have to start the un-lockdown process. We should ensure that we do not land in a position in which people survive Covid-19 but die of poverty,” the chief minister said.
He said the current lockdown protocol will apply till 5 am Monday. “And then the un-lockdown
process will start. The decision was taken today [Friday] at the meeting of the [Lieutenant governor Anil Baijal-led] Delhi Disaster Management Authority.”
Kejriwal, who is the DDMA vice-chairperson, said their priority will be the weakest economic sections in the un-lockdown process. “..we will start with labourers, especially migrant labourers. Most of them are engaged either in the construction sector or in factories. So, we will open these two sectors from this Monday.”
Kejriwal said that to make sure cases do not surge again, the relaxations have to happen in a phased way.
Experts stressed on the need to unlock the city carefully, with particular planning of how activities prone to crowding and close contact can be opened up. These include the opening up of marketplaces and malls, restaurants, gymnasiums, the Metro rail services and any activity that could drive up the number of people relying on public transport.
“The government should be very meticulous about the phased relaxations. Hundred percent mask compliance should be mandatory not just on paper but enforced efficiently. Open spaces are less risky. In the coming weeks the government may take a call on opening market areas. In that case, they should go for staggered timings or alternate day formula to ensure that crowd is under control,” said Dr Jacob John, former head of the clinical virology department at Christian Medical College in Vellore.
“The government should keenly observe the Covid-19 trends and take a call on relaxations concerning closed spaces such as pubs, gyms, cinema halls, etc, only when things are safe enough. But effective implementation of 100% mask compliance is a must. So, it is not just about planning things it is more about their efficient implementation,” he added.
Kejriwal said that in subsequent weeks, more relaxations will be made after taking into account case numbers, expert inputs and public feedback. He said that if cases start increasing, all economic activities will have to be stopped again. “So, I urge people to adhere to all regulations and strictly follow Covid-19 appropriate behaviour. We are not in favour of a lockdown. We are aware of its implications.”
At present, only people, institutes, and enterprises engaged in the delivery of essential goods and services are allowed to function – these include grocery stores, offices of core government agencies, pharmacies and banks, among some others.
The construction sector and factory workers’ unions welcomed Friday’s announcement.
“The un-lockdown initiative will bring big relief to tens of thousands of workers engaged in Delhi’s factories. But a large number of people have already left, and they are not likely to come back any time soon. The disease has affected them and their families back in villages. Most of them have run out of money too. They are unlikely to return to Delhi without a guaranteed job,” said Rajesh Kumar, general secretary, Delhi, Indian Federation of Trade Unions.
Thaneshwar Adigaur, the convener of Nirmal Majdoor Adhikar Abhiyan, a joint forum of 40 construction sector labour unions in Delhi, said there is fear of another potential wave of Covid-19.
“Children of migrant labourers no longer have to attend physical classes in schools any time soon. So, those who have left for villages are likely to be there for a few more months. However, for the construction workers who stayed back and those who plan to return, the announced relaxation will be a big relief.”
HT reported on May 22 that at least 800,000 migrant labourers are estimated to have left Delhi for their home states in buses from the three interstate bus terminals in the first four weeks of the lockdown.
Neeraj Sehgal, a factory owner and general secretary of an industrial area welfare body in Delhi’s Mayapuri, said factory owners too are facing problems and, hence, are unlikely to expand their workforce beyond a point. “In the next three months, production capacity is likely to remain under 50% because of the financial losses caused by the pandemic. It would be great if the government considers relaxations for the industry sector too in terms of rent relaxation, tax relief and waiver on at least fixed charges on power and water.”
The coming weeks will be crucial as it buys the city some time to ramp up the vaccination drive, experts said.
“We have to scale up vaccination at this stage. Supply shortage cannot be an excuse. Governments will together have to work towards resolving that,” said Dr Jugal Kishore, head of the community medicines department in Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital.
Kishore said as cases and positivity rate declines significantly, tests are likely to decline. “But the government should have its testing infrastructure in place. Any inconvenience in this regard naturally leads to hesitance and the test-trace-isolate model eventually collapses,” he added.