With the comfort in limitations following the new guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs in the third stage of the contagious Coronavirus lockdown, people queued up outside liquor shop in several parts of the country triggering alarm among many.

With centre ordering relaxations, many liquor shops have been observed ignoring some strict guidelines of social distancing.

The government has now permitted these shops to reopen in green, orange, and red zones.(barring the containment Zones). Although, there are restrictions in place and shopkeepers have been instructed to ensure that customers maintain a distance of two metres between each other. These shops (which fall under the non-essential category) will be allowed to stay open until 7 pm.

There are about 70,000 liquor outlets in the country. Companies expect states such as Punjab, Haryana, Assam, and Karnataka to start retailing before other states like Maharashtra, where coronavirus epidemic is at peak. Around 150 liquor shops located in non-containment zones in Delhi has been opened today. Four government-run agencies, which are responsible for the sale of liquor in Delhi, had submitted the list of shops which can be allowed to open following coronavirus guidelines.

Several retailers have expressed concerns that their existing stock may dry-up soon, due to which people are thronging to the liquor shops in huge numbers, flouting of social distancing norms.

Ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown on March 24, liquor and tobacco shops have remained shut.

With the states registering over 2,000 new cases in last 24 hours, India’s COVID-19 count has crossed the grim milestone of 42,000-mark. The total number of covid-19 cases, the country has climbed to 42,533. The death toll has increased to 1,373 as India recorded 72 deaths in last 24 hours. Both the number of new cases and and fatalities on Sunday were the highest reported in a single day so far.