The new relaxed guidelines for Lockdown 3.0 led to huge crowds and jeopardised social distancing norms in Mumbai promoting the civic authorities to again enforce few restrictions.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner Praveen Pardeshi issued an order on May 5, withdrawing relaxations for Mumbai and disallowing the sale of liquor in the city.

According to an Indian Express report, the order allowed only shops selling essential goods to operate.

‘It has been observed that the number of positive cases in the city of Mumbai has been rising and the downward trend is yet to set in and gathering of crowds in large numbers without following social distancing will be detrimental to the control of the spread of the virus and the advantage of the lockdown will be lost due to gathering of people in large numbers,’ the order said.

When the nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus was extended by another two weeks, the Union Home Ministry had announced that other than containment areas, stand-alone liquor shops which were shut since March 25, can re-open across the country.

However, the government had also stated certain conditions for these shops, such as these shops should not be located in markets and malls in urban areas, minimum six-feet social distancing should be ensured. At a time, not more than five people are allowed inside a shop.

In Maharashtra, which is the worst-hit state in the country, only five shops selling non-essential items were allowed in each lane. Visuals from Mumbai surfaced which showed long queues outside liquor stores as shops re-opened after a month.

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