Covid restrictions set alarm bells ringing for shops in New Delhi

Delhi In Yellow Alert

- Govt enforcing the yellow alert of the Graded Response Action Plan In an odd-even days routine, shops and malls will remain open from 10 am to 8 pm.

- Restaurants will open with 50% capacity, but from 8 am to 10 pm

- Bars will open with 50% capacity, but from 12 noon to 10 pm

- Delhi Metro will run with 50% seating capacity

- Public spaces such as cinema halls, multiplexes, banquet halls, auditoriums, spas, gyms, yoga institutes and entertainment parks will remain closed

- Schools, colleges, educational institutions, and coaching institutes will also remain shut

New Delhi: Marketers, local shop owners and businessmen are once again in a bind after the Delhi government decided to re-introduce slew of restrictions to prevent the spread of Covid-19. On Tuesday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that government will enforce the yellow alert of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the city.

Bizz Buzz spoke to several small shop owners located in Old Delhi and Connaught Place to know their views on the reintroductions of restrictions including night curfew, odd-even days of opening market and limited passengers in public transport.

The order comes from Delhi government amid a surge in the number of Covid-19 cases in the national capital, and its Omicron variant. On Monday, Delhi reported 331 fresh Covid-19 cases, the highest single-day spike since the last six months.

19-year-old Rani Singh, a hawker at Delhi's Connaught Place, says that such an announcement will be deterrent to her ability to sell items, since tourists are flocking the public spaces after a very long time.

"We are Banjaras (nomadic). We sell small items like handmade jewellery, balloons or even festive themed items like Santa Claus hats. I manage to sell a few pieces each day. If the restrictions are imposed again, I might be not be able to sell anything," Rani expressed her plight.

The Palika Bazar Shopkeeper Welfare Association has called for an emergency meeting on Tuesday to review the said decision.

Local shopkeepers and association members have expressed dissatisfaction on the announcement, with some saying that this will only make it more difficult to keep the shops running, let alone see any profit margins.

28-year-old Sonu Kumar, who owns an electrical shop at the underground market of PalikaBaazar, says this announcement should have been made keeping in mind the associations views as well.

As a part of the yellow alert, Delhi government has allowed shops and malls with non-essential services or goods will remain open from 10 am to 8 pm, in an odd-even days routine.

Restaurants will open with 50 per cent capacity, but from 8 am to 10 pm, while bars will also open with 50 per cent capacity but from 12 noon to 10 pm. Delhi Metro will run with 50 per cent seating capacity. Public spaces such as Cinema halls, multiplexes, Banquet halls, auditoriums, Spas, gyms, yoga institutes and entertainment parks will remain closed. Schools, colleges, educational institutions, and coaching institutes will also remain shut.