According to highly placed sources in the government, the 3-week national lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which ends on April 14, will be extended for another two weeks, till the end of April.
But it will not be business as usual on May 1, the government is clear in its mind.
What is being considered by the government is a staggered lifting of the lockdown, with no place collecting more than 50% of its capacity, the sources said.
According to a tentative calendar of lifting of the lockdown before the government, religious places will be the first to reopen, on May 5.
Fruits and vegetable markets will be allowed to open from May 7, but on alternate days.
Malls, cinema halls and wedding halls are expected to open in the third week of May, while educational institutions will reopen in the end of May.
Trains and domestic flights are expected to resume on May 15.
International flights, however, will have a longer wait — July 30 is the date being considered, and a final decision will be taken after gauging if the world has been able to overcome the coronavirus threat or not.
According to sources in the government, this is the tentative plan before the Prime Minister’s Office and sums up the essence of what various experts groups have proposed.
While a final call will be taken by the Union Cabinet and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Centre is keen to give chief ministers the freedom to decide on the schedule as per their own compulsions.
This calendar is expected to be discussed in the PM’s video-conference with the CMs tomorrow, following which Prime Minister Modi may address the nation on Sunday, April 12.
