Delhi Unlock: Several cars, two-wheelers, auto-rickshaws, and a few buses were seen on the roads as some people started going to their workplaces
New Delhi:
Heavy traffic was seen at Delhi’s ITO as the national capital began to gradually lift lockdown restrictions from today.
Several cars, two-wheelers, auto-rickshaws, and a few buses were seen on the roads as some people started going to their workplaces.
The Delhi government has allowed all private offices to operate with 50 per cent capacity between 9 am and 5 pm. However, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged all those who can work from home to continue to do so.
According to the Delhi government, local bodies and corporation offices will be functioning at 100 per cent capacity for Grade 1 employees while the rest of the staff will work at 50 per cent strength.
As more relaxations came into effect including restarting Metro operations, Mr Kejriwal urged people to continue following all Covid-related protocols. He said, “We have to protect ourselves from the coronavirus disease, as well as bring the economy back on track”.
“Many activities are resuming in Delhi from today. But take all the precautions to prevent corona completely – wear a mask, keep social distance and keep washing hands, do not lax at all,” Arvind Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.
Delhi Metro today tweeted saying, “Entry for a few of our stations are being intermittently closed and opened for short durations to ensure social distancing as part of our crowd control measures. Please bear with us and allow for extra time in your commute.”
The Metro services, considered as the lifeline of the national capital, were shut due to a massive surge in Covid cases on May 10.
The national capital went into lockdown on April 19 and has been reporting a significant dip in COVID-19 cases and deaths with a positivity rate of just 0.5 per cent.
The Chief Minister announced a slew of relaxations on Covid curbs on Saturday, allowing the Delhi Metro to operate with 50 per cent capacity and shops in markets and malls to remain open on the odd-even basis.
The standalone shops will be allowed to open daily from 10am to 8 pm. Home delivery through e-commerce platforms has also been allowed as the city finds its way out of the devastating second wave of coronavirus.