Delhi government on Sunday announced that it will be implementing all lockdown relaxations proposed by the Ministry of Home Affairs from Monday.
Holding a press conference, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, “The Delhi government will implement all lockdown relaxations prescribed by the home ministry.”
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said the Delhi government will implement the centre’s latest guidelines on lockdown relaxation and allow government and private offices to open from Monday but the suspension of travel by flight, metro and bus will continue.
Delhi is ready to re-open now…We will not be able to sustain the lockdown for long as the economy is in peril. The revenue has fallen from Rs 3500 Crores in April month of previous years to Rs 300 Crores this year. How will government function?: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal
The country has been divided into three zones — Red, Orange and Green – based on coronavirus risk-profiling. The extended lockdown is slated to last till May 17.
Arvind Kejriwal said, “Time has come to re-open Delhi. We will have to be ready to live with coronavirus.”
The list of relaxations and rules for Lockdown 3.0 announced by Delhi government include:
- All government offices to become operational from tomorrow. Those involved in essential services will see 100 per cent attendance.
- For non-essential government departments, only deputy secretary and 33 per cent staff will be allowed to report to work.
- Private offices can function with 33 per cent staff.
- Suspension of travel by flight, Delhi Metro and bus will continue in the national capital
- Schools, malls, gyms and social, political, cultural and sports gatherings will remain banned.
- Salon and barbershops will remain closed.
- No movement of people will be allowed from 7 pm to 7 am.
- Those aged above 65 years, pregnant women, those with pre-existing medical conditions and children below the age of 10 shall continue to stay at home.
- Self-employed personnel are allowed to resume commercial activities.
- Connaught Place, malls and markets will remain closed barring shops selling essential goods.
- Stationary and standalone shops will be allowed to open.
- Print and electronic media, private security firms can open.
- Firms involved in the manufacturing and supply of essential goods will be allowed to open.
- I-T, hardware and e-commerce firms will be allowed to provide essential services.
- Private vehicles carrying a driver and 2 rear passengers will be allowed to commute but only to access essential services.
- Wedding functions with 50 people will be allowed. Funerals to allow 20 people.
“Today one-and-a-half month has passed since the lockdown was first imposed. Delhi is now ready to open. The public is agitated by the classification of the entire city as a red zone. People are losing jobs, the economy has gone haywire and the government has no source of revenue. We cannot pay our employees with the existing revenue,” he said.
“We have made full use of the lockdown but now the time has come to reopen the city. We will have to learn to live with coronavirus. We have made all preparations,” Kejriwal added.
The chief minister also said that he will suggest the Centre declare only containment areas in the city as red zones and not the entire district.
There are 96 containment zones in the national capital.
In a zone-wise classification of districts in the country, the Union Health Ministry has designated all 11 districts of Delhi as the red zone. However, the Delhi government is planning to categorise the city wards on the basis of coronavirus cases, allowing more relaxation in lockdown curbs in areas where the infection has not been reported, according to sources. The city has 272 wards.
The national capital recorded 384 fresh cases of the novel coronavirus, the highest spike in a day, taking the tally to 4,122 on Saturday. The death toll mounted to 64 with three more fatalities, according to Delhi government.
