central government gives permission to open small shops in green zone of corona virus india today news 25/04/2020
Local beauty parlours and salons will re-open from Saturday, while liquor shops will remain shut, Union Home Ministry announced late on Friday night. The total number of
confirmed coronavirus cases in India jumped to 24,506 on Saturday
Day 31 of the nationwide lockdown, India can hope to see light at the end of the tunnel. The Centre has claimed that if the current trend continues India will be able to bend the curve of novel coronavirus before May 3 - the end of Lockdown 2.0. The hope finds further ground as the Ministry of Home Affairs has announced that shops selling non-essential goods in municipal areas can reopen.
This comes, even as the country on Friday recorded 1,752 fresh cases taking the total number of infected people to 23,452 even as doubling rate of the disease improved to 10 days from 7.5 reported earlier this week. The death toll from the infection rose to 723 with 37 fatalities reported since Thursday evening
It is the biggest single-day spike in the number of cases in India and it comes on the eve of the month of Ramzan.
But the good news is that India's recovery rate has reached 20.52 per cent and the mortality rate is limited to 3 per cent, which is less than the global average of around 7 per cent. The Centre, in a presentation issued at the daily presser, claimed that the Covid-19 curve in India will bend by May 3.
Non-essential goods shops to reopen
In a late-night order on Friday, the Union Home Ministry said that shops selling non-essential goods can resume operations. However, shopping complexes and malls will continue to remain shut.
The order also means that local shops and small businesses in residential complexes can reopen. However, the shop keepers can only operate with 50 per cent strength while keeping in mind the social distancing norms along with use of masks.
The local salons and parlours will be allowed to operate from Saturday. Big shops/brands/market places will remain shut. As for the liquor shops, the MHA has clarified that alcohol comes under a separate clause and not under the shops and establishment act.
central government gives permission to open small shops in green zone of corona virus india today news 25/04/2020
"All registered shops regd under Shops & Establishment Act of respective States/ UTs, including shops in residential complexes, neighborhood & standalone shops exempted from #lockdown restrictions. Prohibited: Shops in single & multi brand malls," the MHA Twitter handle said.
"Market complexes, except those within the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities, are allowed to open. Mandatory: 50% strength of workers, wearing of masks & observing #SocialDistancing. Relaxations not applicable in #Hotspots/containment zones," it said.
The Centre has been trying to phase out one of the world's strictest lockdowns with regular sectoral relaxations. In its earlier order, Centre had allowed agriculture and its related bodies to operate. A part of industries has also been opened for business. Construction-related to water conservation has also started in the green zones.
All relaxations being announced by the Centre are only applicable to area which have been categories as green zones, which means there are no positive cases of the novel coronavirus.
Highest spike in cases and high recovery rate
India on Friday recorded 1,752 fresh cases taking the total number of infected people to 23,452 even as doubling rate of the disease improved to 10 days from 7.5 reported earlier this week, according to the Health Ministry.
The death toll from the infection rose to 723 with 37 fatalities reported since Thursday evening, said an official, adding about 20.52 per cent of the infected people have recovered so far.
Out of the total 1,752 new cases, Maharashtra reported the highest number of 778 new infections followed by Gujarat with 217 cases and Madhya Pradesh with 157 cases, according to government data.
The previous highest single-day increase of the infection was on April 20 when 1,540 cases were reported. India's first coronavirus case was reported on January 30.
The Centre said the lockdown has been effective in slowing down the rate of spread of the deadly infection and that the doubling rate now stands at 10 days.
On April 20, the Health Ministry said the doubling rate has improved to 7.5 days as against 3.4 days before the nationwide lockdown was imposed.
Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry Lav Agarwal said that 15 districts in the country which earlier reported cases of the infection have not reported any fresh cases in the last 28 days.
Further, a total of 80 districts from 23 states and union territories have not reported any new cases since the last 14 days.
