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India has allowed a limited reopening of stores in neighborhoods and residential areas, one month after the nation closed to curb the spread of the coronavirus, authorities said.
The Federal Interior Ministry announced on Friday that retail stores could begin operations starting Saturday with a 50 percent reduction in staff and enforcing proper physical distance, wearing masks and gloves while on the job.
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The sale of liquor and other non-essential items will continue to be prohibited, and the opening of stores in large markets, multi-brand and single-brand shopping centers will not be allowed until May 3, when the national closure is due at the end.
Relaxation would also not apply in hundreds of critical zones and containment zones across the country.
India has reported 24,530 coronavirus cases and 780 deaths, and authorities are establishing new teams to focus on compliance and implementation of blockade measures.
Last week, the government allowed the resumption of manufacturing and agricultural activities in rural areas, as millions of daily wage earners were left without work.
Reporting from Al Jazeera’s Elizabeth Puranam, reporting from the capital New Delhi, said: “The stores they are allowed to open are a great relief to the millions of Indians in areas that are not hotspots with small independent stores.”
“The Indian government, like many others, says they are just trying to balance saving lives and livelihoods and that is why we are seeing the latest reduction in restrictions here,” he added.
‘Smart lock’
Meanwhile, in neighboring Pakistan, the government has extended the national blockade until May 9.
However, it is shifting to a so-called “smart lock” starting on Saturday under which it will implement case tracking and tracking while allowing some industrial and commercial activities to start under security guidelines.
“Isolating these cases and their contacts will improve our ability to contain the disease and allow the economy to function and people to get jobs,” said Asad Umar, Pakistan’s minister of planning, who also oversees the national coronavirus response body.
“This next month of Ramadan will be decisive,” he said, stressing that compliance with government virus containment measures will allow other parts of the economy to restart.
Pakistani Muslims perform the first tarawih prayer on the eve of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan while keeping physical distance in Peshawar [Hussain Ali/Anadolu]
Ramadan prayer congregations have also been allowed in Pakistan, with the exception of the southern province of Sindh, where doctors warned that the virus could spread rapidly.
In Karachi, the capital of Sindh and the largest city in Pakistan, most mosques were closed to the public by Ramadan evening prayer meetings, which began on Friday.
The country’s key medical associations have warned the government of serious consequences if a “complete” blockade is not imposed.
“Allowing mass gatherings in mosques or markets can lead to an unmanageable situation as the country’s weak health system is already overburdened,” Qaisar Sajjad, secretary-general of the Pakistan Medical Association (WFP) said on Friday.
Pakistan’s Inter-Service Intelligence service is helping the government track down and trace people who may have been in contact with those who tested positive for the virus.
As of Saturday, Pakistan reported 11,940 cases of infections, including 253 deaths.
SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies
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