BHOPAL: A day after the Centre allowed opening of shops in some areas amid the lockdown due to coronavirus outbreak, shops reopened in some areas of Madhya Pradesh on Saturday, bringing respite to people.
The state government may issue guidelines about opening of shops to clear away confusion, if any, an official said. The Centre has allowed neighbourhood and stand-alone shops in urban areas including those located in residential complexes to open.
In Madhya Pradesh, shops remained closed in cities such as Indore, Dewas, Khargone, Ujjain , Bhopal, Jabalpur and some other districts which have seen large number of COVID-19 cases. In capital Bhopal, Collector Tarun K Pithode said, "There will be no let-up in the lockdown till May 3 here because the area is part of the red zone."
In Gwalior, grocery shops reopened.They will be allowed to function between 7am to 9pm, an official informed. The shops which opened on Saturday were seen doing brisk business with buyers wearing face masks and maintaining social distancing norms.
An official said Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had spoken to collectors through video conference to answer queries about the Friday order of the Centre. "The CM is expected to issue unified guidelines in connection with the MHA order to end any confusion that might be prevailing," the official added.