Weekend curfew begins in Delhi, some traders want stricter lockdown in Capital

Maharashtra traders want relaxations as the restrictions in the state are stricter while the Confederation of All India Traders thinks Delhi should undergo a complete lockdown for 10 days.

Delhi which on Friday recorded the highest spike of nearly 20,000 fresh Covid-19 cases comes under a weekend lockdown from 10pm on Friday, for the first time after the national lockdown was imposed in March 2020. It has not been decided yet whether this weekend lockdown will be continued in the Capital, though several restrictions have been put in place on the movement of people. Mumbai, on the other hand, is under restrictions till May 1 as Section 144 of CrPC has been imposed in the entire state.

Ahead of Delhi weekend lockdown, people shopping for vegetables and groceries in Delhi. (Photo by Sanchit Khanna / Hindustan Times)

Maharashtra restrictions, according to which only essential shops will be allowed to open, have evoked sharp reactions as traders have been staging protests demanding waiver.

The Retailers Association of India on Friday urged the Maharashtra government to permit home delivery of non-food items for orders taken through phone or website. Now, only e-commerce and restaurants are allowed home delivery.

The Confederation of All India Traders is supporting Delhi's weekend lockdown and instead asked the government to impose a complete lockdown of at least 10 days to contain the situation. "It is very important to break the chain and for that, it is very important to put a complete lockdown for at least 10 days in Delhi. Traders of Delhi stand with the government and will continue supplies of essential commodities uninterruptedly," CAIT secretary general Praveen Khandelwal said, as quoted by news agency PTI.

Traders in Lucknow's prominent markets Hazratganj, Aminabad are also observing a voluntary lockdown between April 15 to 18 to stop the spread of the infection.

Apart from breaching all previous records of 24-hour spikes, Delhi on Friday reported 141 deaths. The AAP government has decied to appoint 10 IAS officers and nodal officers for Covid-19 hospitals run by the Delhi government, while minister Manish Sisodia has been made the nodal minister for all Covid-19 management in the city.

(With agency inputs)