Govt Allows Registered Shops to Open

Coronavirus lockdown: Shops will have to open with 50 percent staff and the workers will have to maintain all social distancing measures, including mandatory use of masks; this order is not applicable to shopping complexes and malls

The central government has allowed all registered shops to open from today. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), in its latest order issued on late Friday, exempted all registered shops selling non-essential items from the revised lockdown restrictions issued on April 15.

"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.

All relaxations being announced by the Centre are only applicable to areas which have been categorized as green zones, which means there are no positive cases of the novel coronavirus.