Restaurants with 50 per cent capacity, malls, markets, weekly markets and religious places will reopen in Delhi from June 14, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Sunday, saying the COVID-19 situation has significantly come under control in the city.
Salons, beauty parlours and barber shops closed since the imposition of lockdown on April 19, will also reopen from coming Monday, officials said.
“All activities, except certain prohibited ones, will be allowed from 5 am on Monday. There are also certain restricted or partly allowed activities announced last week that will continue,” Kejriwal said in an online briefing.
“I, therefore, appeal all market associations and others to prevent crowding and ensure social distancing and other precautions,” the chief minister said.
Schools, colleges, educational and coaching institutes, cinema halls, multiplexes, theatres, gyms, spas, yoga institutes, swimming pools, auditoriums, banquet halls, amusement and water parks, and public parks and gardens, will continue to be closed till 5 am on June 21, according to the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) order issued on Sunday.
All social, political, sports, entertainment, academic, cultural/religious, festival-related and other gatherings and congregations, stadia, sports complexes barring those used for training or any national or international event, business to business exhibitions, are also prohibited.
The religious places in the city will also be allowed to reopen from Monday, but visitors will not be allowed, Kejriwal said.
He said with declining number of coronavirus cases, the concern now is to bring back Delhi’s economy on track and preparing on a war footing for an anticipated third wave of the infection.
If it is found that COVID appropriate behaviour is not being followed in markets, market complexes, malls and restaurants, or if the positivity rate and number of COVID-19 positive people increases in Delhi, these centres will be “closed forthwith without any loss of time” to prevent any upsurge and likelihood of the next wave in Delhi, warned the DDMA.
There will be no restriction on inter-state and intra-state movement of persons and goods, and no separate permission or e-pass will be required for such movements, the order said.
“I hope our lives will be back on tracks if the Covid cases continue to decline. It is a massive calamity and we have to tackle it together, and hope the cases do not increase now,” Kejriwal added.
- Schools, educational institutions including coaching centers will continue to remain closed in Delhi even as all shops in markets and malls will open from tomorrow from 10 am to 8 pm. The restaurants can be opened with 50 percent capacity.
- Spas, gyms, Yoga institutes will remain closed. Public parks and gardens will also remain closed.
- There will be 100% attendance of group A officers and 50% for the remaining in government offices. Essential activities will continue as before.
- Social, political, sports, entertainment, academic, cultural, religious festival gatherings prohibited.
- Religious places to be opened but no visitors will be allowed. Weddings not allowed in public places like banquet halls or hotels, but will be allowed only at court or homes with not more than 20 people. Only 20 people allowed at funerals.
- 50% capacity to be allowed in Delhi Metro as well as buses. In autos, e-rickshaws, or taxis, not more than two passengers allowed to ensure social distancing.
- Swimming pools, stadiums, sports complexes, cinema theaters, multiplexes will remain closed.
- If spike in Covid cases is observed in next week, restrictions will again be imposed on markets and restaurants.
