Footfalls low, confusion over odd-even system at markets as Delhi unlocks amid fourth COVID-19 wave

Delhi started easing restrictions June 7, 2021 after being under lockdown for over 50 days as a lethal fourth wave of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic lashed the city. Shops in Connaught Place, one of Delhi’s oldest shopping districts, pulled up their shutters but footfall remained low. Photos: Vikas Choudhary

The congested Laxmi Nagar area in East Delhi was redolent of pre-pandemic times, bustling with people and roadside vendors on June 8, 2021. Not many displayed COVID-19 appropriate behaviour: Masks were off and social distancing didn’t seem possible in the narrow, crowded lanes. The city recorded over 300 cases in the last 24 hours.

At Shakarpur, a busy commercial area in east Delhi, markets opened following the odd-even rule — the standard operating procedures set by the state. Shopkeepers at several corners of the city, however, reported to be unsure how to follow the system, leading to confusion and unintentional flouting of norms.

Delhi resumed metro railway service with a 50 per cent seating limit. At Mayur Vihar Phase I metro station, few commuters got on the trains on June 8 (Tuesday), making it easy to maintain social distancing. The positivity rate in Delhi increased to 0.44 per cent on Tuesday from 0.36 per cent on Monday, according to state health bulletins.

Daryanganj in Old Delhi, which houses the popular Sunday second-hand book market, was also seen slowly resuming economic activities. Many businesses in the city could not survive the lockdowns and have shut shop, as visible from the 'To Let' signs on the shutters. Over 66,000 people in Delhi received a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in the last 24 hours, according to the health department.