Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during the fifth PM-CM call over the coronavirus crisis on Monday suggested that all economic activities should be allowed in the national capital except in containment zones.
As per the reports, Delhi CM called for lifting more curbs in Delhi, all of which has been designated a Red Zone.
The Delhi government is in favour of allowing all offices, industries, markets and e-commerce with precautions like physical distancing, masks and face-shields, limiting the number of people, as reported by NDTV.
Last week during an online press conference, the Delhi CM had said that the national capital is in favour of lifting the lockdown and the citizens need to learn to live with the coronavirus.
“The time has come to re-open Delhi. We will have to be ready to live with coronavirus,” Delhi Chief Minister said in a video press conference.
“We are prepared in terms of hospitals and kits. We are suggesting to the Union government that all containment zones should remain sealed. Rest they can start terming as green zones. Shops can be opened on an odd-even basis. Even after the complete lifting of lockdown, if a few cases increase, we are prepared to handle that as well,” he had said.
His remarks were not validated by the Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan who later said that Delhi should allow “only minimum relaxations”.
He had asserted that stringent measures are required to tackle the highly contagious coronavirus in Delhi.
This afternoon, PM had held a video call with the Chief Minister of states to discuss the COVID-19 situation and fate of the lockdown. Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman were also present along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Prime Minister said the government has stressed that people should stay where they are. “But it is human nature to want to go home and so we had to modify or change our decisions. Despite that, to make sure it doesn’t spread and go to villages, that’s our big challenge,” he said.