The goverment on Saturday evening reiterated its earlier clarification that all restaurants, salons and barber shops will remain closed. The clarification was given by the Home Ministry Spokesperson.
This was also tweeted as an update by Prasar Bharati News Services and added that restaurants and salons render services. The lockdown relaxations announced on Friday pertained only to shops selling items, it added.
Fact Check:
Govt has clarified that all restaurants, salons & barber shops will remain closed.It said, they render services & relaxations given under #lockdown restrictions yesterday pertain only to shops selling items. Clarification was given by Home Ministry Spokesperson.
— Prasar Bharati News Services (@PBNS_India) April 25, 2020
Just after midnight on Friday, the Home Ministry had posted an update stating that all states and Union Territories could now permit the opening of “all shops registered under Shops & Establishment Act of respective States/ UTs, including shops in residential complexes, neighborhood & standalone shops.”. This was only for areas that are not hotspots or containment zones.
“Shops in market complexes, except those within the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities, would be allowed to open. Shops in single & multi-brand malls would not be allowed to open anywhere,” a PIB press note had added.
Market complexes, except those within the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities, are allowed to open.
Mandatory: 50% strength of workers, wearing of masks & observing #SocialDistancing
Relaxations not applicable in #Hotspots/containment zones
— Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) April 24, 2020
On Saturday morning the PIB had posted a clarification, adding that in rural areas, all shops, except those in shopping malls are allowed to open, while in urban areas, all standalone shops, neighborhood shops and shops in residential complexes are allowed to open. Shops in markets/market complexes and shopping malls are not allowed to open, the note added.
It also clarified that e-commerce companies would continue to sell only essential goods.
The sale of liquor and other items too continues to be prohibited, PIB added.
●Sale by E-commerce companies will continue to be permitted for ESSENTIAL GOODS ONLY.
●Sale of liquor & other items continues to be PROHIBITED as specified in the National Directives for #COVID19 management.NO SHOPS to be permitted to open in hotspots/containment zones
— Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) April 25, 2020
Since then, the MHA has released yet another clarification — that about restaurants and salons.
#COVID19 Update
In view of queries coming from various sections of society, it is clarified that ALL RESTAURANTS, SALONS & BARBER SHOPS would remain CLOSED.
They render services & the relaxations given under #lockdown restrictions yesterday pertain only to shops selling items.— Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) April 25, 2020
Netizens however are not too pleased with the updates.
The repeated clarifications has led to many alleging that such things should have been thought of before the announcement was made in the first place.
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Some people also seemed to be causing additional confusion as they tried to help others understand the updates.
Take a look at some of the posts:
Katai pagal ho gye sare MHA ke beaurocrats? How difficult it is to pass an order that doesn’t need multiple clarifications the next day?
— Mogambo (@Happy_Mogambo) April 25, 2020
If they are under same brand, they are a market complex. If they are independent businesses which are only for essentials, they are considered standalone.
— Abhishek Dvs (@abhishek_dvs) April 25, 2020
Is e-commerce safer or physical shops safer for the sale of non-essential goods. Cant understand who decides the MHA Policies. E-commerce should also be allowed to deliver so-called non-essential goods.
— Mukul Diwanji (@Mukul_Diwan) April 25, 2020
This should have been carefully worded in the first place. One notification and 100 clarifications.
— Harshie Rapal (@harshdeeprapal) April 25, 2020
This could have been worded correctly and in plain English in original notification, saving 16 hrs of total confusion and bad name for the hon HM!
— Ganesh R (@yaarganesh) April 25, 2020
Shop owners after the recent MHA order and clarifications#LockdownEases pic.twitter.com/6oZo4spznW
— Amar Jyoti (@ajmahapatra) April 25, 2020
A lesson in administration and economy is to be precise and uncluttered. The order on relaxation of lockdown violated both. This creates the requirement of continuous clarification and that makes implementation a nightmare. I hope MHA learns a lesson from this.
— vibhas jha (@vibhasjha1) April 25, 2020
You’re creating too much confusion
— Meenali Sharma (@meenali20) April 25, 2020
How many clarification ? Can’t you draft a proper notification?
Or is it because people started questions
— activecitizen (@activecitizen18) April 25, 2020
Shops in markets/market complexes & shopping malls are not allowed to open.
— Akhilesh Joshi (@CAkhileshJoshi) April 25, 2020
Ok this is somewhat more legible but confusion remains. For eg. do shops bunched together in the middle of a neighbourhood qualify as neighbourhood shops or are disqualified as shops in a market complex? So can shops in South Ex & def colony open or not? https://t.co/TODTQFMIVL
— sushant sareen (@sushantsareen) April 25, 2020
There is no clear explanation of wat is relaxed wat is not …. so much confusion… y can’t any person from government can come online n tell ppl
— imdharsangg (@imdharsangg) April 25, 2020
Never saw more confusing order then this
— Gaurav. (@GauravCareer) April 25, 2020