Delhi to begin unlocking from May 31. Here’s what will be allowed

The Delhi government has prioritised the weakest economic section in its un-lock mandate.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Friday that the national capital will start lifting lockdown measures gradually from Monday, May 31. Delhi went under lockdown on April 19, which was further extended a few times. Kejriwal cited the decreasing number of Covid-19 cases in the Capital as the reason for initiating the unlocking process, adding that the government has to ensure people don’t die of poverty after surviving the second wave of the pandemic.

The chief minister cautioned that even though the government is not in favour of a lockdown but if Covid-19 cases start to rise again such measures will have to be re-implemented. (Photo by Raj K Raj / Hindustan Times)

“Currently, there is no shortage of hospital beds, ICU and oxygen. So, we have to start the un-lockdown process. We should ensure that we don’t land in a position in which people survive Covid-19 but die of poverty,” Kejriwal said in a press briefing on Friday.

The chief minister urged people not to step out unless absolutely necessary, cautioning that even though the government is not in favour of a lockdown but if Covid-19 cases start to rise again such measures will have to be re-implemented.

The following activities have been allowed to commence from May 31.

1. The Delhi government has prioritised the weakest economic section in its un-lock mandate. The process will be starting with the opening up of the construction sector.

2. Factories will also start opening up from May 31, earlier only factories producing Covid-19 essentials like face masks, sanitisers, PPE kits were allowed to remain operational.

3. Kejriwal said the lockdown process is aimed at helping migrant labourers and daily wage workers thus the two sectors where they constitute the majority of the workforce have been allowed to open first.

4. HT reported last week that the government has not maintained any data on the number of migrant workers who had left Delhi by train but some 8,00,000 had left for their villages on inter-state buses. According to news agency ANI on Friday, the migrant workforce has started to come back to the Capital and buses arriving at Anand Vihar and Kashmere Gate terminals were occupied by those returning from their villages for work.