There are multiple questions in our heads about our cities and states. To address all these questions, the Delhi Chief Minister yesterday listed down the guidelines for the future of the capital city.  

Holding a press conference yesterday, the Delhi Chief Minister announced that Delhi government will implement the centre’s latest guidelines on lockdown relaxation and allow government and private offices to open from Monday but the suspension of travel by flight, metro and bus will continue. 

The third phase of the countrywide lockdown begins Monday with “considerable relaxations”, but curbs will continue in containment areas so that the gains achieved so far in the fight against Covid-19 are not “squandered away”.  

Arvind Kejriwal said, “Time has come to re-open Delhi. We will have to be ready to live with coronavirus.” 

This decision came amidst the economic crisis that the country is moving towards. To ease down on the economy, the state government decided to ease out on various activities in the non containment zones.  

This has shaken the entire economic architecture, which, in turn, caused the second crisis. He said:

Since the economy is closed, the government is not getting any revenues. In April, every year, the government used to receive ~3,500 crore in revenues. Last month, we got ~300 crore. How will we pay salaries? How will we run the government?

Kejriwal said it was important to understand that Covid-19 is now here to stay. “We will not see a situation now where there are no cases. This is now impossible.” 

The idea of the lockdown was to prepare, and Delhi, he said, had done so optimally. “We have made adequate arrangements. We have enough testing kits. We have hospitals.”

Delhi currently has close to 3,000 beds reserved for Covid-19 patients in several state and central government hospitals, and an additional 420 paid beds in private hospitals, according to the health department. 

There are 96 containment zones in the national capital. In a zone-wise classification of districts in the country, the Union Health Ministry has designated all 11 districts of Delhi as the red zone. 

However, the Delhi government is planning to categorise the city wards on the basis of coronavirus cases, allowing more relaxation in lockdown curbs in areas where the infection has not been reported.  

Following is the list of things that can resume in Delhi from today,  

– Public movement between 7am to 7pm for getting essential goods and emergencies is permitted. But people above 65 years and below 10, pregnant women and people with comorbidities will not be allowed.

– Self employed workers like technicians, plumbers, electricians, mechanics, sanitation staff, people working as domestic help, laundry and dhobis can continue work.

– Government offices and private facilities with 33% staff will open from today.

– Small ceremonial gatherings allowed. Marriages with a maximum of 50 people and last rites with 20 people.

– Books and stationary shops to open.

– Shops selling essential goods inside malls to open.

– IT hardware, manufacturing units, packaging material units and agricultural activities to resume.

– Construction work for people who don’t have to travel to begin.

– Stand alone liquor shops will open with L-6 and L-8 licenses.

What still remains prohibited in all the zones are: 

– Any sorts of travel, rail travel, air travel, Inter-state buses and within Delhi 

– Delhi metro will remain closed. 

– Schools, colleges, educational institutions, coaching institutes, training institutes. 

– Hospitality sector including hotels, restaurants 

– Places where public gathering takes place like movie halls, malls, gymnasium, sports complex. 

– Religious places

– Cycle-rickshaw, auto-rickshaw, taxi, cab aggregators, salon, barbershops and Parlours.