New Delhi: Malls and markets in Delhi will continue to remain shut and only standalone neighbourhood shops will be allowed to open, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday afternoon after the central government allowed an ease in the nationwide restrictions over coronavirus in a late-night order on Friday.
“Last week, we had decided not to ease restrictions after the centre’s order on relaxing shutdown in non-affected areas. We had decided to review the situation again in a week (on April 27),” Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said during a video conference.
“We have now decided to stick to centre’s (latest) guidelines. In Delhi, markets, market complexes or malls will not reopen. Only standalone neighbourhood shops will be allowed to open. In containment zones, nothing changes. These are the areas where we are restricting movement,” he said, adding that “no other relaxations will be allowed” till May 3 when the second phase of the countrywide lockdown is scheduled to end.
“These are very challenging times. We will plan the road ahead after a discussion with the central government,” he said.
The national capital, which has 95 containment zones spread across all 11 districts, has so far reported nearly 2,500 coronavirus cases, inlcuding 53 deaths.
It its order, the Union Home Ministry on Friday allowed all the shops in the residential areas – except those in malls – to reopen in a huge relief to shopkeepers and buyers amid a countrywide shutdown to check the spread of coronavirus. The relaxation is not applicable to containment zones.
All restaurants, salons, barber shops and liquor stores will remain closed, the government clarified later, adding that e-commerce companies can only sell essential items. Malls, cinemas, gymnasiums, sports complexes, swimming pools, bars and auditoriums also continue to remain shut.
Only 50 per cent of the staff will be allowed in the shops that reopen and masks, gloves and adherence to social distancing norms is mandatory.
