Buses with 20 passengers, opening of markets in Delhi during lockdown 4.0

Substantially opening up the national capital during lockdown 4.0, Delhi government on Monday announced plying of buses with maximum 20 people, opening of shops in markets by following odd-even scheme and allowing construction activities but barring builders from bringing labourers from outside the city.

However, inter-state travel will be allowed only for medical professionals, nurses and para-medical staff, sanitation personnel and ambulances without any restriction, leaving office-goers from neighbouring Noida and Ghaziabad (UP) and Gurugram (Haryana) in trouble. As per Centre's guidelines, inter-state travel can be allowed only if both states mutually consent to it.

The announcement came on a day Delhi crossed 10,000 mark in COVID-19 cases. With 299 cases, the number of cases has now touched 10,054, out of which May alone reported 6,539 or 65.03 per cent of the total cases.

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Delhi had reported the first COVID-19 case on March 2. Till now, 160 people have lost their lives to COVID-19. The national capital had crossed 1,000 mark on April 11 and it took just 38 days to add another 9,000 cases.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said Delhi Metro, shopping malls, educational institutions, hotels, cinema halls, large gatherings and religious places will remain shut till May 31 as instructed by the Centre. Delhi government will also not allow opening of barber shops, spas and salons with the new lockdown guidelines leaving such things to the discretion of the states.

In Delhi, autos, cycle-rickshaws and e-rickshaws are allowed to ply with one passenger while taxis and cab aggregators can operate with two passengers. Maxi-cab can ply with five passengers while mini-buses can have a maximum of 11 passengers. All these vehicles should be disinfected after every trip.

No pillion rider is allowed on a two-wheeler, while four-wheelers can ply with two passengers other than the driver.

Cab aggregators cannot offer car-pooling facility to customers. Buses can ply with 20 passengers, who will be allowed in after a screening. At bus stops as well as inside buses, social distancing has to be followed.

Government and private offices can start opening with full attendance but Kejriwal suggested that work from home should be allowed as far as possible.

While shopping malls will remain shut, markets and market complexes are allowed to open. While essential shops can open every day in these facilities, non-essential shops will have to follow odd-even scheme. All standalone shops, nehigbourhood shops and shops in residential complexes can open every day.

In a boost for construction sector, builders are allowed to re-start activities but they cannot bring labourers from outside Delhi. The workers should be residing in the capital. Inter-state travel is allowed. All industries can also start functioning, Kejriwal said.

Amid complaints that domestic helps were not allowed in several apartments, the Delhi guidelines also said Resident Welfare Associations will not prevent any person from performing their services and duties.

"COVID-19 pandemic is not ending in one or two months. Till a vaccine is discovered, it will be there. We will have to live with it. At the same time, lockdown cannot be permanent. During the lockdown, we made preparations. Now, Delhi has enough hospitals ready, we have hospital beds, ventilators, PPE kits, oxygen and testing kits. Now we have to slowly open up economy. We cannot do it at once," he said.