Pune: All shops to remain open till 2 pm from today as both PMC and PCMC relax Covid restrictions

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to relax lockdown restrictions in the city from June 1 by allowing all shops, in both essential and non-essential categories, to remain open from 7 am to 2 pm. However, there will be restrictions on public movement from 3 pm every day.

The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has also decided to introduce nearly the same set of relaxations. The decision was taken as the number of active Covid-19 cases in Pune city fell to 6,020 on May 31 after reaching a peak of 56,636 on April 18.

“The restrictions in the city were imposed well before they were introduced by the state government. Thus, the lockdown in the city was in place longer than it was in other parts of the state. It has helped in improving the Covid-19 situation in the city. The active cases were at their peak on April 18 and they have dropped by 50,000 in 43 days,” said Mayor Murlidhar Mohol on Monday.

The PMC, along with nine other municipal corporations, has been declared as a separate administrative unit that is free to frame its own lockdown rules. These civic bodies should have a positivity rate equal or less than 10 per cent and the occupancy of available oxygen beds should be less than 40 per cent.So, the PMC has decided to relax the Covid restrictions in phases and review the situation after 10 days.

As per the order of Municipal Commissioner Vikram Kumar that will be applicable from June 1 to 15, essential category shops can remain open on all days from 7 am to 2 pm. They were earlier allowed to be open only till 11 am.

Liquor shops which were allowed only to provide parcel service and agriculture items shops have now been allowed to remain open on all days for seven hours from 7 am to 2 pm.

Shops in the non-essential category, which are standalone shops and not inside shopping centers and malls, will be allowed to operate from 7 am to 2 pm but will have to remain closed on weekends, he said. Weekly vegetable markets will remain closed. E-commerce services are allowed for home delivery of essential as well as non-essential commodities.

Banks will be allowed to operate regularly while government offices can function with 25 percent attendance of staff.

Restaurants and bars will continue to be closed for dine-in facility but can provide parcel service. No social, cultural, religious and political functions will be permitted as of now to avoid crowding, said Mohol.

Parks and entertainment venues will remain closed till further orders. PMPML services will only be allowed to ply emergency sector workers and not for the common public.

“The Covid-19 situation is improving but it is not over. We have to continue to take safety measures to ensure there is no surge again,” cautioned Mohol.

There will be strict restrictions on the movement of people in public places after 3 pm every day. Only those in emergency services or healthcare would be allowed, along with home delivery service providers.

There will be no change in rules for the functioning of private offices and there is no clarity on operation of auto rickshaws and cabs.

Meanwhile, the PCMC has also decided to allow essential shops to operate from 7 am to 2 pm on all days of the week. The administration has, however, warned that it be forced to close down the shops if they are found violating Covid-appropriate norms.

In a directive on Monday, Municipal Commissioner Rajesh Patil said all non-essential shops that are standalone shops and not located in shopping centres have been allowed to operate from Tuesday from 7 am to 2 pm. “However, non-essential shops can operate only from Monday to Friday while essential shops can operate throughout the week,” he said.

When asked whether salons and beauty parlours too have been allowed, Patil said,”All the shops which are standalone shops, including salons and beauty parlours, have been allowed to operate from Monday to Friday.”