Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged people to follow social distancing norms and show discipline during the Covid-19 crisis. His tweet came on a day when the latest guidelines issued by the state government for phase four of the Covid-19 lockdown come into effect.
“Some economic activities are starting from today. It is our responsibility to follow discipline and control the coronavirus disease. Masks, hand sanitisers and social distancing are important. I pray to god to keep you and your family healthy. If we stay disciplined, God will help us,” Kejriwal said on Twitter in Hindi.
आज से कुछ आर्थिक गतिविधियाँ शुरू हो रही हैं। हमारी बहुत बड़ी ज़िम्मेदारी है कि पूरे अनुशासन से रहें और करोना को कंट्रोल में रखें। मास्क, सोशल डिस्टन्सिंग और हैंड सैनिटायज़र
आप और आपका परिवार स्वस्थ रहें- ऐसी प्रभु से प्रार्थना है।हम अनुशासन से रहेंगे, तो प्रभु हमारी रक्षा करेंगे
The Delhi government threw open all public transport, except metro trains, and allowed people to 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) in latest guidelines issued on Monday.
This comes after 55 days of a lockdown imposed in March-end to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease Covid-19. 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, 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.
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.
On Monday night, Delhi’s coronavirus dashboard stood at 10,054 cases – of which 5,409 are active – and 160 deaths. So far, 4,485 people have recovered from the disease in Delhi.