NEW DELHI: Traders in New Delhi will keep the city’s markets open for now despite a surge in the number of coronavirus cases, said the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT).
The CAIT, a national body representing scores of big and small traders and retailers, on Sunday said, “trade leaders of Delhi decided to keep markets open for the time being.”
However, CAIT or a trade association of a respective market could consider adopting an odd-even scheme to open shops or restrict the number of days a market operates, depending on the trajectory and severity of the disease in the national capital.
“The commercial markets in Delhi shall remain open after the direct intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and aggressive steps announced by home minister Shri Amit Shah after holding a meeting with Delhi lieutenant governor Anil Baijal and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal,” said Praveen Khandelwal, secretary general, CAIT, in a statement on Sunday.
The decision was taken today after 275 traders met via a video conferencing call.
“At the meeting of trade leaders, it has been decided that since each market has different dynamics in terms of wholesale or retail and customer flow is different for each market, the social distancing norms vary from market to market and based on their own perception and number of covid-19 positive cases, individual markets may take their decision in the best interest of the traders and customers of Delhi,” CAIT said in the statement.
Delhi is expected to report over 5.5 lakh cases by the end of July. Moreover, an overstrained healthcare infrastructure is proving to be a hurdle in tackling the city’s active and fresh cases.
CAIT’s decision comes after the traders’ body had deliberated shutting down some of the city’s busiest markets after rising instances of infections. On Saturday, CAIT has also written to top leaders sharing issues experienced by Delhi’s traders.
The trade body had earlier carried out a survey among traders and their local representatives to gauge whether its members find merit in keeping markets open. An overwhelming 88% favoured market closures amid the rapid spread of the virus.
The fear is also keeping the city’s shoppers indoors instead of stepping out into crowded spaces.
Crowded markets, like those in old Delhi—that are made up of narrow and congested lanes make it hard for shopkeepers and traders to adhere to social distancing norms.
However, after another round of deliberations on Sunday, CAIT has decided to keep the markets running.
Earlier on Sunday, in a meeting between the state and the central government, steps were announced to increase Delhi’s testing capacity, a move that CAIT said was reassuring.
Testing for covid-19 is expected to be doubled in the next two days and increased three times in the next six days, home minister Amit Shah said after a meeting with Delhi with chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, LG Anil Baijal and health minister Harsh Vardhan.
Delhi has the third highest number of cases in the country
“The steps announced by the home minister to increase and ramp up contact tracing and testing will definitely prove beneficial as well as the decision to construct makeshift hospitals and medical facilities under the joint supervision of the central government will expedite the facilities for covid patients,” CAIT’s Khandelwal said.
