Al Jazeera: [2] India has allowed a limited reopening of shops in neighbourhoods and residential areas, a month after the nation went into lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus, officials said.
[3] The federal home ministry announced on Friday that retail shops could start operations from Saturday with a 50-percent reduction in staff, and enforcing appropriate physical distancing, wearing of masks and gloves during work.
[4] In Pictures: Lockdown adds to India’s slum dwellers’ woes
[5] India’s coronavirus lockdown worsens access to mental health care
[6] Pakistan using intelligence services to track coronavirus cases
[7] The sale of liquor and other non-essential items will continue to be prohibited, and no shops in large market places, multi-brand and single-brand malls will be allowed to open for business till May 3, when the nationwide lockdown is due to end.
[8] The relaxation also would not be applicable in hundreds of hotspots and containment zones across the country.
India has reported 24,530 cases of the coronavirus and 780 deaths, and authorities are setting up new teams to focus on compliance and implementation of lockdown measures.
Last week, the government allowed resumption of manufacturing and farming activities in rural areas as millions of daily wage-earners were left without work.
Al Jazeera’s Elizabeth Puranam, reporting from the capital, New Delhi, said: “The Indian government, like many others, say that they are just trying to balance saving lives and livelihood and that is why we are seeing the latest easing of restrictions here.”
“But this does not apply to hotspots, so we are not seeing it all anywhere in Delhi, the national capital region,” she added.