india

Updated: Apr 28, 2020 00:04 IST

The Delhi government on Monday finally lifted the bar on veterinarians, plumbers and electricians after a complete review of the Covid-19 pandemic in the national capital. In a 7-point order, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority also allowed inter-state travel of health workers, lab technicians and scientists that had been prohibited in the city.

The relaxation comes into effect from Tuesday.

The Union home ministry had earlier cleared these activities but the city government had decided against allowing them for the time being. It had declared on April 19 that a decision on allowing these activities would be taken on April 27 after a thorough review of the ground situation.

Delhi reported 190 fresh Covid-19 cases on Monday, pushing the total number of cases in the city to 3,108. This includes 54 people who lost their lives as well as over 850 patients who have recovered. The city has reported Covid-19 cases from all its 11 districts, which have been categorised as red zones.

According to the late evening order issued by chief secretary Vijay Dev, services provided by self-employed persons - electrician, plumbers and repairing of water purifiers would be allowed in the capital.

The home ministry’s guidelines had also allowed carpenters and motor mechanics. There was no reference to them in Monday’s order.

It, however, explicitly allowed interstate (by air or road) and intrastate movement of all medical and veterinary personnel, scientists, nurses, paramedical staff, lab technicians, midwives, and other hospital support services, including ambulances.

Veterinary hospitals, dispensaries, clinics, pathology labs, sale and supply of vaccines and medicines have also been allowed under the new order.

Besides, the government order formally allowed shops of electric fans, educational books for students, shelter homes for persons with disabilities, children, elderly people, widows, etc.

Some of these relaxations, such as the ones that allow shops selling stationary shops and electric fans, had already been covered by the Union home ministry’s decision last week to allow standalone shops to open.

That relaxation had caught the Delhi government by surprise. It did not want to allow the neighbourhood shops to reopen over fear that it could give people an opportunity to step out of their house. But it had to give in after hundreds of shopkeepers in many parts of the capital opened their shutters before the city government could message that this restriction didn’t apply to the national capital.