The nationwide lockdown has been extended till June 30, but malls and restaurants can reopen from June 8 except in containment zones, or areas sealed because of a large number of virus cases, the centre announced on Saturday evening.
Religious places, hotels and restaurants will also be allowed to open from June 8, the home ministry said in its new guidelines ordering phased re-opening of areas outside containment zones, ndtv.com ad PTI reoprted.
'The current phase of re-opening, Unlock 1, will have an economic focus,' said the guidelines.
The new guidelines, details of which are still awaited, had been issued based on extensive consultations held with states and Union territories, the home ministry said.
All activities banned earlier will be opened up in areas outside containment zones in a phased manner, with SOPs to be prescribed by the Union health ministry.
A decision on reopening schools will be taken in July, after consultations with all educational institutions.
Most chief ministers had indicated that they were in favour of extending the nationwide lockdown, but with calibrated relaxations to allow economic activity.
As of 8am on Saturday, India registering a record single day spike of 265 deaths and 7,964 cases, according to the Union health ministry.
The number of Covid-19 cases climbed to 1,73,763 in India, among the nine worst-hit nations of the world. India’s death toll was 4,971, while the number of active cases stood at 86,422.
On Friday, Union home minister Amit Shah met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss suggestions he had received from chief ministers. Cabinet secretary Rajeev Gauba has also conducted a meeting chief secretaries and municipal commissioners of 13 hotspot cities with a high number of Covid-19 cases.
The nationwide lockdown began on March 25 and has so far seen four extensions.
The four states that account for the maximum number of Covid-19 cases are Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Gujarat. In the east, West Bengal is the worst impacted state. These states account for more than half the hotspot cities, namely, Mumbai, Chennai, New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Thane, Pune, Calcutta and Howrah.
