With the decline in the number of cases being reported, the Center has decided to reopen shops selling non-essential items to reopen from Saturday. This hints the end of lockdown, while predictions say so; though the situation can’t be definitely assumed.
The Center has permitted the reopening of shops with : 50% staff, usage of masks and proper sanitization, and strict adherence to the social distancing norms.
However, the malls selling single-brand and multi-brand items will remain closed.
The local salons, parlors, small businesses; and more precisely, any shop registered under the Shops and Establishment Act of respective States or Union Territories, including shops in residential complexes, neighborhood, and standalone shops are exempted from the lockdown. These can function from Saturday.
Also, liquor shops come under a separate clause and will not operate now.
These relaxations are not permitted in the hotspots or containment zones. Earlier, the Center permitted the operation of agriculture-related activities and other essential services. And now the relaxation is for other shops too.
All relaxations are only restricted to the green zones, where there have been no positive cases.
As predicted earlier, the lockdown 2.O which ends on May 3 would be further extended; but with the new statistics, the country can relax the lockdown. The death rate is lessened to 3% compared to the global average of 7%. Also, the doubling rate has improved to 10 days.
The present cases in India are around 23K, which could have been 73K without lockdown. The country has acted just in time and proved effective in fighting the novel Corona virus.
The PM told the leaders of the country that the COVID-19 pandemic has the country “to be self-reliant and self-sufficient” and not look for solutions abroad. He also stressed that each state, each district, and each village should be able to fulfill its daily essentials.
Applauding people for their grit in fighting the Covid-19 outbreak, Modi said “the collective power of the villages is helping the country move forward” and complimented rural India for its “Do Gaz Ki Doori” mantra to popularize social distancing.
