Delhi extends lockdown with relaxations from Monday
New Delhi, May 3 (IANS) The Delhi government extended the lockdown for a third time on Sunday following the same done by the Central government with all the relaxations allowed in the red zones.
In an order, Delhi Chief Secretary Vijay Dev said all the orders which were valid till the midnight of May 3 will remain valid till the midnight of May 17 — the new deadline for the COVID-19 lockdown in Delhi and the country.
All the 11 districts in the national capital have been marked as a red zone by the Centre.
Dev, in his capacity as the Chairperson Delhi State Executive Committee, said the permissible activities in the red zones, outside the containment zones, will be strictly as per the protocol prescribed by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
“In the Containment Zones… maximum precaution is required, there shall be strict perimeter control; establishment of clear entry and exit points to ensure that there is no movement of population in or out of these zones except for medical emergencies and for maintaining supply of essential goods and services,” the order said.
It also said that there should be no unchecked influx of people and transport in and out of the perimeter.
“All government offices of Delhi, autonomous bodies, PSUs, corporations, local bodies (under the non-essential category) shall function with officers of the level of Grade Equivalent and above to the extent of 100 per cent strength. The remaining staff will attend upto 33 per cent as per requirement to be assessed by the HOD concerned.”
However, it added that essential services will function without any restrictions.
“The delivery of public services shall be ensured and necessary staff will be deployed for such purpose,” Dev said in the order.
The MHA in its May 1 order has listed all the activities allowed in the red, orange and green zones.
In the red zones the area outside the Containment zones will allow the movement of the individuals and vehicles, only for permitted activities.
“Four wheeler vehicles will have maximum two passengers besides the vehicle driver, for two wheelers, pillion rider is not allowed,” the MHA order said.
It barred all the movement of cycle rickshaws and auto rickshaws; taxis and cab aggregators; intra-district and inter-district plying of buses; and the barber shops, spas and salons.
The May 1 order from the MHA allowed all the industrial activities in the rural areas but has limited the industrial activities in the urban area.
In the urban areas, industrial establishments in only Special Economic Zones (SEZS); Export Oriented Units (EOUS); industrial estates and industrial townships with access control; manufacturing units of essential goods, including drugs, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, their raw material and intermediates, production units, which require continuous process and their supply chain manufacturing of IT hardware, jute industry with staggered shifts and social distancing and manufacturing units of packaging material are permitted.
Similarly, while all construction activities are allowed in the rural areas, in the urban areas only those constructions are allowed where workers are available on site and no workers are required to be brought in from outside.
“In the urban area construction of renewable energy projects are permitted.”
The MHA order barred the opening of all the malls, market complexes and markets in the urban areas.
“However, shops selling essential goods in markets and market complexes are permitted. All standalone shops, neighborhood shops and shops in residential complexes are permitted to remain open in urban areas, without any distinction of essential and non-essential,” the MHA said.
It also said that all shops in the rural areas, except in malls, are permitted to remain open, without any distinction of essential and non-essential.
“Social distancing (‘2 Gaz ki doori’) will be maintained in all cases.”
In the red-zones, the e-commerce activities are permitted only in respect of essential goods.
The Delhi government order also said that with the extension of the lockdown, the validity of passes and authorization letters issued by the offices of District Magistrates, District Deputy Commissioners of Police, Head of the Departments or gazetted officers authorized by them will also be extended till May 17.
“There shall be no need to re-validate these from the issuing authority concerned,” the order said.
The national capital has witnessed more than 4,000 COVID cases so far.
–IANS
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