Government of India permits more relaxations in lockdown 2.0, allows shops to open, but not the ones in malls, hotspots and containment zones. By Tanvi Jain
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Imposing further relaxations in the ongoing second phase of complete lockdown in India to control the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of India has now permitted shops to open across the nation. However, those in malls, hotspots and containment zones will remain shut.
The order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) mentions that shops registered under the Shops and Establishment Act of every state and union territory are allowed to operate with half the staff, provided they make it mandatory for everyone to wear masks, and maintain social distancing. However, it is not mandatory for every state to follow the order, as they can impose measures according to the situation in their area.
While rural areas can open shops in residential and market complexes, in urban areas, only neighbourhood and standalone shops are allowed to open. Apart from malls, the delivery of non-essential goods by e-commerce websites will also remain prohibited until May 3.
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While, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Goa, Kerala, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh have reportedly, allowed retailers to sell non-essential goods post the order, other states like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra, Pradesh, Telangana have made it clear that no shops or industrial activities will operate before May 3.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, also recently spoke about Centre’s relaxations on the opening of the neighbourhood and standalone shops, saying that the lockdown in the capital won’t be relaxed beyond the Union Home Ministry’s guidelines.
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A day after easing the restrictions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his radio address ‘Mann Ki Baat’ urged the citizens of India to strictly abide by the lockdown and social distancing rules. On April 27, he also met the Chief Ministers of various states via video conferencing to discuss the exit strategy from nationwide lockdown. This is the fourth time since March 22, that the PM has held such an interaction with the CMs. Two days after his first meeting on coronavirus, he announced the first lockdown on March 24, for an initial period of 21 days. However, considering the rising cases of COVID-19, he further extended the lockdown from April 14 till May 3.
Related: Karnataka Eases Lockdown 2.0 Restrictions: Here’s All You Need To Know
