States in India easing lockdown restrictions as Covid cases have seen a steady fall in recent weeks. India saw its lowest daily coronavirus cases count in over two months, with 86498 fresh infections on Monday. Several states of India have begun level-wise resuming activities stopped two months ago when the country saw a deadly surge in coronavirus cases in the second wave. 

Following additional activities have been allowed outside containment zones in Delhi:

(i) All Government offices of NCT of Delhi / Autonomous bodies / PSUs / Corporations / Local Bodies can function with officers of the level of Grade-I /equivalent and above to the extent of 100% strength. The remaining staff will attend up to 50% as per the requirement to be assessed by the HOD concerned (the remaining 50% of the staff will work from home). However, offices involved in essential services can function without any restrictions (ie at 100% strength).

(ii) All private offices in Delhi can function to the extent of 50% strength of their staff between 9 AM to 5 PM on the production of a valid authorization letter and valid I card issued by their employer, firm, or company. Private offices and organizations are also advised to stagger the office timings and stagger the presence and quantum of staff to reduce the number of employees attending office at the same time to ensure the protocol pertaining to social distancing at the same time in the workplace. They are also advised to follow the practice of work from home, as far as possible.

(iii) (a) All malls, markets, and market complexes (except weekly markets) can open between 10 AM to 8 PM on an odd-even basis, ie, shops can open on alternate days depending on their shop number. This implies that only 50% of the shops (excluding those selling essential goods) can open. However, shops selling essential goods including educational books and stationery shops, fan shops in malls, markets, and market complexes, are permitted to open on all days without the restriction of timings.

(b) All standalone (single) shops and all neighborhood (colony) shops and shops in residential complexes, can open on all days without any distinction of essential and non-essential goods/services. However, the timings of such shops dealing with non-essential goods/services will be between 10 AM to 8 PM.

(c) The movement of the owners and the employees/workers of the shops of all malls, markets, market complexes, standalone (single) shops and all neighborhood (colony) shops shall be allowed on production of a valid I card issued by the employer, firm or company or valid e-pass issued by District Magistrate concerned through an online portal.

(d) Transportation by Delhi Metro shall be allowed up to 50% of the seating capacity of the metro coach. The metros will run as per the normal time schedule.

(e) Delivery of all types of goods through e-commerce is allowed on the production of a valid I card issued by the employer, firm, or company.

Maharashtra will implement a five-level plan to ease the lockdown restrictions depending on infection rates and hospital bed occupancy. In Mumbai, shops selling non-essential items, restaurants, and public places opened on Monday 7th June 2021 but malls, theatres, and multiplexes will continue to remain shut as these have been categorized under level 3 of the ‘unlock’ plan. Local trains will carry only essential workers. Buses are allowed to run full capacity, but passengers can’t travel standing to avoid crowding.

The Uttar Pradesh government has allowed shops and markets outside containment zones in Varanasi, Ghaziabad, Muzaffarnagar, and Gautam Buddh Nagar to open for five days a week from Monday after active COVID-19 cases in these four districts fell below 600. The relaxations will be effective from Mondays to Fridays from 7 am to 7 pm. However, night and weekend curfews will continue.

Though the lockdown has been extended in Haryana till June 14, there will be an easing of several lockdown restrictions. Malls can stay open from 10 am to 8 pm under the new set of guidelines. A maximum of 21 people is permitted to gather in religious places at one time. Corporate offices can open with 50 percent attendance. Restaurants, bars, and clubhouses are allowed to open with 50 percent seating capacity from 10 am to 8 pm Covid protocols in place.

In Sikkim, shops selling groceries and vegetables as well as hardware shops can now remain open from 7 am to 2 pm, an extension of two more hours. The statewide lockdown, however, has been extended till June 14.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has extended the lockdown in the Union Territory till June 15. However, Jammu began its ‘unlock’ process in a phased manner from Sunday after nearly a month of lockdown.

The Rajasthan government on Monday announced certain relaxations to the lockdown restrictions mposed in the state following a dip in the number of infections and the positivity rate. Under the modified guidelines issued by the Home department to come into effect from Tuesday, government and private offices in the state can stay open till 4 pm with 50 percent of staff presence. Parks will be open from 5 am to 8 am, and shops and commercial establishments of permitted categories will be open from 6 am to 4 pm from Monday to Friday, it said. The ‘public discipline weekend curfew’, however, will continue from 5 pm on Fridays to 5 am on Mondays until further orders.

Sources: Zee News | NDTV

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