'Mission Begin Again': Mumbai remains shut while India begins to unlock

Maharashtra and Rajasthan turned out to be the outliers.

A day after the Centre suggested opening up of most activities outside of the nearly 6,000 containment zones across the country, Maharashtra and Rajasthan turned out to be the outliers as they ordered places of worship, hotels, restaurants, and malls to remain shut.

In another departure from the Centre’s guidelines, which permitted unrestricted inter-state movement, the Delhi-Noida border will not be opened for public amid rising number of coronavirus cases in the national capital, according to the Uttar Pradesh government. Most other states extended the lockdown in containment zones until June 30, but issued guidelines consistent with that of the Centre’s, allowing nearly all economic activities in areas outside these zones.

In its guidelines, ‘Mission Begin Again’, issued on Sunday, Maharashtra departed from the Centre’s guidelines. CM Uddhav Thackeray said the state needed to tread cautiously now that monsoon was round the corner. It said intra-district bus services can operate, but inter-district bus operations will remain restricted.

The state said places of worship, restaurants, hotels, malls, and salons would remain shut. The state, however, allowed shooting for films and serials. Maharashtra has allowed all private offices to operate, but with only 10 per cent strength, from June 8, and markets and shops can open from June 5 on odd-even basis. In shops, Maharashtra has asked trial rooms to be kept shut.