Except Metro, all public transport thrown open

Delhi residents can hop into public transport — cab services and buses; not the metro yet — and shop at pretty much any marketplace (malls are still closed), as

Delhi residents can hop into public transport — cab services and buses; not the metro yet — and shop at pretty much any marketplace (malls are still closed), as long as they are not over the age of 65, and the markets are not in Noida or Gurugram (crossing the borders will still require a pass), according to the latest guidelines issued by the state government.

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This comes after 55 days of a lockdown imposed in March-end to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). To be sure, the lockdown continues till May 31, but Monday’s announcement by the state, coming on the back of Sunday’s by the Union home ministry, marks the second phase of a gradual exit from it.

On Monday, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal allowed auto-rickshaws, e-rickshaws and cycle rickshaws with one passenger in every vehicle; green-lighted the resumption of all industries with staggered timings; and said all government and private offices would be open in the city-state where life has come to a standstill due to unprecedented restrictions on movement and activities.

“The coronavirus is here to stay. We need to live our lives with corona now. And the lockdown cannot be permanent. So far we have used the lockdown period to prepare ourselves — hospital beds, ventilators, PPE (personal protective equipment), testing kits, etc…Now is the time to revive the economy,” Kejriwal said in a digital press briefing.

Delhi’s guidelines were broadly in line with that issued by the central government, incorporating most of the major relaxations in order to bring life and economic activities back on track.

However, Kejriwal did not mention any measure on interstate travel, which the Centre has allowed in its fresh order. Also, barber shops, spas and salons, which too have been permitted, will not open in the national capital immediately. On Monday night, Delhi’s coronavirus dashboard stood at 10,054 cases, of which 5,409 are active, and 160 deaths. Thus far, 4,485 people have recovered from the disease in Delhi.

All relaxations announced by Kejriwal will be applicable across Delhi, except in containment zones which will allow the movement of essential personnel alone and have stricter perimeter control. At present, Delhi has 73 containment zones, which can broadly be defined as the epicentre of an infection.

Kejriwal said taxis and cab operators, such as Ola and Uber, are allowed to function with each vehicle carrying a maximum of two passengers and a driver. The same rule will be applicable for private cars. Pillion-riding will not be allowed in case of two-wheelers and carpooling/shared services will continue to be prohibited.

Buses will be allowed with a maximum of 20 passengers in each vehicle, and all people boarding the buses will be screened. “Drivers will be instructed to sanitise the seats after each passenger deboards the bus,” Kejriwal said.

“Grameen Sewa vehicles can operate with a maximum two of passengers, maxi cabs with a maximum of five passengers, and rural transport vehicles (smaller buses) with a maximum of 11 passengers,” he said.

While Sunday’s federal guidelines permitted interstate movement of passenger vehicles and buses with “mutual consent” of the states and the Union Territories (UTs) involved, confusion prevailed on Monday at Delhi’s borders with Gautam Budh Nagar (Noida) and Gurugram that have been sealed. Authorities in both satellite towns later clarified that stringent restrictions at their borders will continue, and people — except health care personnel — will need passes like before to cross over.

In addition to the announcement on public transport, another significant step announced by Kejriwal was the opening of marketplaces and all shops, a move that is expected to bolster stalled economic activities. In line with central guidelines, the chief minister allowed stores in marketplaces, but they will have to follow an odd-even rule.

Under the standard operating procedure prepared by the Delhi government, shops will open on alternate days on the basis of shop numbers, according to officials who did not want to be named. It will ensure that half the shops will open on one day, and the other half the next day and so on.

However, no such rule will be applicable to shops selling essential items such as medicines, fruits and vegetables, groceries, dairy products, books and stationery. Also, standalone shops, neighbourhood stores and shops in residential areas will be exempt.

Kejriwal approved the functioning of industries, albeit with staggered timings, and allowed all government and private offices to begin operations. His government did away with the curbs asking private offices to function with just 33% of their staff from office. But at the same time, he advised firms to encourage employees to work from home to the extent possible.

“Industrial firms whose name starts with M/S A to M/S L may function from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm, whereas firms whose registered name starts with M/S M to M/S Z may function from 8.30 am to 6.30 pm,” said the Delhi government order issued late on Monday night.

Kejriwal also allowed construction activities, but said workers must be from Delhi. Earlier, the government allowed resumption of work for projects in which labourers were available on site.

The chief minister announced that weddings (with a maximum of 50 people in attendance) and funerals (with a maximum of 20 people in attendance) will be allowed in the city, in another move that is in line with the Centre’s guidelines.

“Social distancing is a must. Complaints of violation can force us to take strict measures and scale up restrictions…Wearing of masks is also mandatory for individuals when they are outdoors and in workplaces…All workplaces must have provision for sanitizer and hand wash,” Kejriwal said.

Activities and services, which are banned across the country, will continue to be prohibited in Delhi. These include metro services, educational institutes, hotels and bars, shopping malls and theatres, and social and political gatherings, and gyms and swimming pools, among others. The restriction on non-essential travel between 7pm and 7am will continue.

“Prohibition on outdoor movement of people aged 65 and above, children aged 10 or less, pregnant women and people with health ailments...will continue,” Kejriwal said.

The Delhi government order asked Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) not to prevent any person from “performing their services and duties which have been permitted” under the fresh guidelines.

“All other activities will be permitted (industrial/commercial) except those which are specifically prohibited... However, in containment zones, only essential activities shall be allowed,” the order said.

Just as the central guidelines, the Delhi government’s order too asked employers to put in their “best efforts” to ensure that the contact-tracing Aarogya Setu app was “installed by employees having compatible mobile phones”. It also asked district magistrates to “advise” individuals to install the application, which was previously mandatory for all government and private sector employees.

The order did not specifically mention e-commerce, but central guidelines say e-commerce players are allowed to deliver both essential and non-essential items across the country, barring containment zones.

Plumbers, electricians, and AC service providers, house helps, cooks and laundry service providers will be allowed to operate in Delhi, adhering to an earlier order, despite finding no mention in the fresh guidelines, a senior government official said on condition of anonymity.

Gautam Gambhir, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s East Delhi parliamentarian, criticised the Delhi government’s move. He tweeted: “The decision to open up almost everything in one go can act as a DEATH WARRANT for Delhiites! I urge Delhi Govt to think again & again! One wrong move & everything will be over!!”

On March 25, when the lockdown was first imposed for 21 days, Delhi had 31 cases and one death. On Monday, when the fourth phase began, the case count crossed the 10,000-mark. In the meanwhile, the nationwide lockdown was extended thrice. The second and the third phases —beginning April 15 and May 4 — lasted 19 days and 14 days, respectively. The fourth phase will continue till the end of this month.

Experts said relaxations of the lockdown guidelines were the need of the hour, though some feared that infections could increase.

“There is definitely going to be a spike (in cases) with the relaxations, but they will also ease a bit the vast sufferings of the people...,” said Jayati Ghosh, a professor of economics at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Jugal Kishore, head of community medicines department in Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital, said the purpose of the lockdown was to flatten the curve.

“To think that infections will stop with an indefinite lockdown is wrong. Phased relaxation of the lockdown is necessary now. What we need now is more cooperation from people when it comes to adhering to social-distancing and isolation norms,” he said.