A day after the Ministry of Home Affairs allowed standalone and neighbourhood shops to stay open, the ministry has clarified that sale of liquor remains prohibited as specified in the National Directives for COVID-19 management.

In a media statement, the ministry further clarified that sale by e-commerce companies will continue to be permitted for essential goods only.

Following several queries seeking clarification of the order, the spokesperson for the ministry also said that all restaurants, salons and barber shops would remain closed. “They render services & the relaxations given under lockdown restrictions yesterday pertain only to shops selling items,” the spokesperson added.

Explaining what the order implied, it said that in rural areas, all shops, except those in shopping malls, are allowed to open.

Meanwhile in urban areas, all standalone shops, neighbourhood shops and shops in residential complexes are allowed to open. Shops in markets /market complexes and shopping malls are not allowed to open.

However, the order does not apply to areas declared as containment zones or hotspots and no shops will be allowed to open in these areas.

On Friday night, amending its April 15 order, the Union Home Ministry said, “All shops, including neighbourhood shops and standalone shops, shops in residential complexes, within the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities, registered under the Shops and Establishment Act of the respective State and UT" will be allowed to open during the lockdown.

The shops will mandatorily have 50% strength of workers, who must wear masks and follow social distancing.

Despite the relaxation being provided by the government, here’s a list of other places that will continue to remain shut:

- Malls, cinema halls, sports complexes, bars, swimming pools, auditoriums, entertainment parks, assembly halls and gyms.

- Complexes with clusters of shops in urban municipal areas.

- Big shops, brands and marketplaces.

- Stores in multi-brand and single-brand malls outside municipality limits.