After a review meeting, the administration allowed the shops to reopen from 9 am to 3 pm from Monday to Friday.
With the slight decline in coronavirus cases, the Chandigarh administration on Monday relaxed restrictions after a month by allowing all shops to reopen for a few hours on weekdays. However, the daily night curfew (6 pm to 5 am) and weekend curfew will continue in the city.
After a review meeting, the administration allowed the shops to reopen from 9 am to 3 pm from Monday to Friday. However, the administration has asked shopkeepers to sanitise their shops and also said customers and all those who attend their place must wear face masks.
The concerned market associations must ensure availability of masks both at shop floors and entry points to markets. They will also ensure that there is no congestion or crowding inside the shops premises or in the open areas of the market places, said an official statement.
The decision was taken in the wake of declining COVID-19 cases and setback to traders and shopkeepers as they suffered due to closure of their shops. The trading community had been demanding from the city administration to allow non-essential shops to reopen as they were suffering huge losses.
Earlier, only shops dealing with essential commodities were allowed to operate.
However, all shopping malls, cinema halls, theatres, museums, gym, libraries, spa, salons, Sukhna Lake and Rock Garden will continue to remain closed.
The restaurants will not be allowed in-room dining, and only home delivery and takeaways will be allowed.
The weekend curfew from 6 pm on Friday to 5 am on Monday will continue. During the weekend curfew, only essential commodity shops will be allowed to open.
As far as possible, the private sector employees should work from home. No action will be taken against private offices remaining open, wherever necessary, the statement said.
The sports centres will remain open for national players and those preparing for Olympic and national-level games, it said.
The city has been witnessing a drop in daily infections for the past several days.
At present, Chandigarh has 4,874 active cases, while neighbouring Panchkula in Haryana has 1,686 cases and Mohali in Punjab has 5,663 active cases.
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