NEW DELHI: Government of India may provide some more ease on restriction in Unlock 4 which will commence from September 1. According to the sources, it is most likely that the Centre may allow resumption of Metro and Local train operations across the country under the fresh guidelines. Notably, Educational institutions, schools and colleges are likely to remain suspended.
So far, the government has received various suggestions for allowing local rail/metro, allowing single theatre cinema halls, auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places. But, the final decision of allowing these activities is yet to be taken.
The decision of re-opening the Delhi Metro gained up the momentum after a request from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who fought that the coronavirus situation in Delhi has improved.
“I have requested the Centre that Delhi should be treated differently”, Kejriwal said yesterday at an online meet with traders, entrepreneurs and businessmen.
“The coronavirus situation is improving in Delhi. If they do not want to run Metro trains in other cities, let it be so. But, in Delhi, Metro train services should be started in a phased manner, on a trial basis” he further added.
The government is considering opening local rail transportation from the first week of September. Also, single-screen cinema halls are likely to be allowed with strict social distancing norms.
Similarly, the government is also considering giving relaxations to auditoriums, halls but they will have to adopt social distancing norms like thermal screening and temperature check with less number of gatherings than halls’ capacity.
India has been recording the world’s highest spike in coronavirus figures since August 8. In the course of the most recent three days the number has been near 60,000. Today it eased back somewhat, with data from the health ministry showing a spike of 60,408 cases. The nation has just logged in excess of 31.67 lakh cases so far. The number of fatalities moved to 58,400.
On Monday, Delhi recorded 1,060 new coronavirus cases – the second elevated single-day spike in August that took the count to over 1.62 lakh.