This story is from May 20, 2020

Lucknow: Now, you can go for haircut and take a walk in park

Lucknow: Now, you can go for haircut and take a walk in park
Essential services like fuel supply, grocery and medicines will continue as earlier
LUCKNOW: After remaining locked down for about two months, you can now get a haircut, have your aching tooth extracted, go for morning walks, order home delivery of food from restaurant and host wedding party with 20 guests, while following safety protocols from May 21 between 7am to 7pm. However, you will not be able to travel in any public transport, visit religious places and go to malls or for a movie.

The guidelines for Lockdown 4.0 released by district administration on Tuesday eased many restrictions on commercial activities, including emergency dental care services in the `green’ zones, while strict prohibitory orders will continue in containment and buffer zones.
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The relief which has come just before the Eid celebrated by all communities in the city is likely to add some colour in the strictly stay-home-celebrations this year.
District Magistrate, Abhishek Prakash said, “The guidelines are as per the instructions of state and Central governments and are aimed at resuming commercial activities gradually while taking all precautions to contain spread of virus. Essential services like fuel supply, grocery and medicines will continue as earlier.”
In containment zones, only essential home deliveries will be allowed with no public movement, while in buffer zones, some movement will be allowed, but only
essentials shops will operate.
Relaxations will be introduced in rest of the city from Thursday. All shopkeepers were directed to get their premises sanitised on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The major relief is that now markets with shops selling variety of products and services including printing press and dry cleaners can operate with shops on left and right side of the road opened on alternate days.
Traders’ association will make blue print of their respective areas for smooth operation. Street vendors can also operate from Saturday (May 23) in open places after taking permission from the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC).
Another big concession is that people now can order food from restaurants and buy sweets from shops. Both will remain open daily between 7am to 7pm with a weekly off.
The eateries, however, have to follow strict regime which includes daily sanitisation of place with bleaching powder/sodium hypochlorite twice daily and thermal scanning of employees who will also have to wear head cover, masks,, gloves and shoe cover. The owners will have to maintain a month’s stock of raw material, but day’s leftover will not be used on the next day. All work will have to be monitored through CCTV. No dining in the restaurant or take-away will be allowed.
In addition to the norms for restaurants, sweets shops will also have to ensure social distancing among customers and keep record of buyers with name, address and phone numbers. No customer will be entertained without mask. Shops will not be allowed to set up extension counters on footpaths. Similar rules will be for bakery shops.
Sportspersons can go for training in stadium/sports complex. However, it was not clear whether contact and group sport training has been allowed or not. Gyming and swimming practice has not been allowed. However, people can go for morning and evening walks and yoga/physical exercise in parks run by LMC and LDA.
“Wedding parties with upto 20 guests have been allowed, but no other celebrations like birthday has been permitted. Maximum 20 people can take part in a funeral. People can visit relatives or friends only if it is urgent while following safety norms,” Mukesh Meshram, divisional commissioner, Lucknow.
While it will be mandatory for people to wear masks, all shops involved in direct contact with customers will have to provide hand sanitisation to buyers before and after transaction and ensure social distancing in and outside their premises. Further, industries/shops will work with 50% workforce and office with 33%
Apart from daily garbage collection, LMC has been directed to sanitize each market on its respective weekly off. Hotels will remain reserved to be used as quarantine facility for corona warriors.Street vendors can also operate from Saturday, May 23, in open places after taking permission from Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC).
The administration has also allowed printing press and dry cleaners to resume business.
In another big concession, people can now order food from restaurants and buy sweets from shops, both remaining open daily from 7am to 7pm with a weekly off.
The eateries, however, have to follow a strict regime, including daily sanitisation of place with bleaching powder/sodium hypochlorite twice daily and thermal scanning of employees who will have to wear gloves, masks, head and shoe covers. The owners will have to maintain a month’s stock of raw material, but the day’s leftover will not be used next day. All work will be monitored through CCTV. No dining in restaurants will be allowed nor would there be take-away facility.
In addition to norms for restaurants, sweets shops will also have to ensure social distancing among customers and keep record of buyers with name, address and phone numbers. No customer without mask will be entertained. Shops will not be allowed to set up extension counters on footpaths in front. Similar rules will have to be followed by bakeries.
While gymnasiums and swimming pools will remain closed, sportspersons can go to stadium, sports complex for training. However, it was not clear whether contact and group sport training has been allowed or not. People can also go for morning and evening walks and do yoga, physical exercise in parks run by LMC and LDA.
“Weddings have been allowed but just with up to 20 guests, including families of bride and groom. No other celebrations like birthday are permitted. Maximum 20 people can attend a funeral. People can visit relatives and friends only if it is urgent while following safety norms,” said Mukesh Meshram, divisional commissioner, Lucknow.
While it will be mandatory for people to wear masks, all shops will have to provide hand sanitiser to buyers before and after transaction and ensure social distancing. Besides, industries, shops have been allowed to work with 50% workforce and offices with 33% staff.
Apart from daily cleaning and garbage collection, LMC has been directed to sanitize each market on weekly off. Hotels will remain reserved to be used as quarantine facility for corona warriors.
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About the Author
Rahul Tripathi

Rahul covers internal affairs, investigations and cyber security. Over the years he has published stories on terror incidents involving outfits like Al-Qaida in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), Islamic State (IS), LeT and Indian Mujahideen (IM). He has reported from Jammu and Kashmir and the Naxal areas of Chhattisgarh: he has also covered extensively the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Naga peace accord and the COVID-19 pandemic. Rahul has won the KC Kulish International Award for Excellence in Journalism ( print).

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