Delhi Lockdown 4.0 Rules: Essential shops allowed to reopen, buses, taxis can run, says CM Arvind Kejriwal

Delhi government has decided to allow certain relaxations in the fourth leg of coronavirus lockdown as per Centre's guidelines, stated Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. Public transport, including buses, taxis and auto rickshaws will be allowed to ply on the streets with certain restrictions, but metro services will remain suspended, said Kejriwal. Shops have been allowed to open on odd-even basis, whereas shopping malls and barber shops will remain closed for now, said Kejriwal. Masks and social distancing will remain mandatory all over the national capital.

"Lockdown cannot be permanent. Delhi government has used the lockdown in the past two months to prepare. When coronavirus arrived in India, we didn't have enough preparations, but we have made arrangements in the past two months. Now we have to move toward reopening our economy," CM Kejriwal said in his address on Monday.

Shops selling essential items have been allowed to operate all round the week. Meanwhile, shops in markets and market complexes will operate on odd-even principle, the Delhi Chief Minister said. Shops not following social distancing norms will be shut down, he added.

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Public transport has been allowed with certain restrictions. Driver of public transport vehicles will be responsible for sanitising the seats after a passenger alights. Buses will be allowed to run, but with only 20 passengers, he added.

Auto rickshaws, e-rickshaws, cycle rickshaws will be allowed to ferry one passenger, whereas taxi and cabs will be allowed to carry two passengers, Kejriwal said. Gramin seva, phatphat seva, eco-friendly seva have also been allowed to run with two passengers. Maxi cabs can carry 5 passengers and RTVs can carry 11 passengers. Car pooling and car sharing have been forbidden for cab service aggregators.

For private vehicles, four-wheelers have been allowed to carry two passengers, whereas two-wheelers cannot have a pillion rider, Kejriwal said.

Kejriwal said that Metro services, schools, colleges, educational institutions, hotels, cinema halls, shopping malls, gymnasiums, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars, auditoriums and assembly halls will remain closed. Social, political, sports, entertainment, academic, cultural, religious and any kind of big gatherings will not be allowed, he added. Places of worship and religious gatherings will also remain prohibited in Delhi during Lockdown 4.0.

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Night curfew from 7:00 pm to7:00 am will be observed, where people will not be allowed to move around, except for essential services. People aged above 65 years, children below 10 years, pregnant women and patients of other diseases like diabetes, cardiac diseases will not be allowed to go out of their as coronavirus proves fatal for them, Kejriwal said.

Restaurants have been allowed to open in Delhi, but they can offer only takeaway services, Kejriwal said. Stadiums and sports complexes will be opened, but audiences will not be allowed to attend these matches.

All government and private offices have been allowed to open with their full strength. CM Kejriwal urged private offices to allow their employees to work from home as much as possible. Industries will be reopened with staggered timings. Construction activities have also been allowed but with local workers only.

All activities have been prohibited in containment zones, except essential services.