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India Cautiously Reopens Neighborhood Stores Shuttered by COVID

Anjana Pasricha

   NEW DELHI - A month after imposing a stringent lockdown, India Saturday
   allowed neighborhood stores in cities and shops in rural areas to
   reopen in a bid to gradually get its shuttered economy back on track.
   The move is expected to bring a measure of relief to the retail
   industry, which employs 35 million people and is the second-biggest
   provider of jobs, after agriculture.
   Malls and restaurants, however, will remain closed, as will markets in
   hotspot areas for the coronavirus.
   This is the second small step to resume normal life in the country of
   1.3 billion that has been under the world's biggest and most stringent
   lockdowns -- earlier this week India allowed farm-based businesses and
   some factories in areas less affected by the coronavirus to resume
   operations.
   The Ministry of Home Affairs, which made the announcement, said shops
   could reopen only with half their staff, would have to maintain social
   distancing norms and would have to comply with new measures such as
   those requiring the wearing of masks and gloves.
   The shutdown has virtually brought the economy to a standstill creating
   massive hardship for millions of people employed in its vast informal
   sector. According to the Center for Monitoring Indian Economy, a
   business information company, unemployment in the country has surged to
   about 25% during the lockdown period.
   Only a few shop owners opened Saturday following the late-night order
   and it may take time for people to venture out.

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