Indians queue for liquor as capital eases some coronavirus curbs

[snoop1130]

Indians queue for liquor as capital eases some coronavirus curbs

 

People stand in a queue to buy liquor outside a wine shop during an extended nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in New Delhi, India, May 4, 2020. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

 

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Hundreds of people queued outside liquor stores in New Delhi on Monday as the Indian capital began easing some curbs after a 40-day lockdown against the coronavirus, while some offices resumed work with fewer staff and traffic trickled into the streets.

 

The nationwide lockdown, among the world’s strictest, is being relaxed in some areas with fewer infections, although it will stay until May 17, the government said last week. The measure was adopted on March 25 and extended twice.

 

Many government cars were among the traffic on Delhi’s boulevards on Monday, while police at checkpoints peered into cars to ensure there were no more than two occupants. Everyone wore masks.

 

By about 9.30 a.m., a line of more than 500 people had formed outside a liquor store in the capital’s eastern area of Kalyan Puri, before the shop was closed and police baton-charged the crowd to disperse it, a Reuters witness said.

 

Police were asking some outlets to close in line with an order from excise authorities, said Ajay Kumar, a Delhi government official in charge of liquor stores.

 

“We want to keep the shops open,” Kumar told Reuters, without elaborating.

 

The easing could drive further infections in India, which has tallied more than 42,500 cases and 1,300 deaths in a steady rise, but some state governments want economic activity to resume as revenue dwindles and millions struggle without income.

 

“We have to get prepared to live alongside corona, we have to get used to it,” Delhi’s chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, told a Sunday briefing, outlining steps to seal off 97 infection hotspots while opening up the rest of the city of 20 million.

 

In neighbouring Pakistan, the number of confirmed cases neared 20,000, with 462 deaths. Authorities in Sri Lanka and Nepal reported 718 and 75 cases respectively.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-05-04

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[Thechook]

Bottle shops are open in Australia and always have been.  No long lines or panic buying just business as usual.

[twocatsmac]

One case of Chang and 200 straws please.

[craigieboy1973]

7 hours ago, twocatsmac said:

One case of Chang and 200 straws please.

Case come on you meant bottle 

[Oldie]

Strange - in the line are only males. The ladies don't drink or don't do shopping for their guys? 

[Baerboxer]

2 hours ago, Oldie said:

Strange - in the line are only males. The ladies don't drink or don't do shopping for their guys? 

 

India has some very strict laws on alcohol, which vary from and within state to state. The article mentions "wine shops" which rarely sell wine, just hard mainly locally produced liquor. (When I lived there the duty on imported spirits was several hundred %; but the Indian produced rum and gin was very good. Indian whiskey was awful though, IMO).

You never ever saw Indian ladies buying from these stores. Many of the stores also acted as an illegal bar and it was quite sad to drive buy and see men boozing early in the morning. 

 

India is very conservative in many ways, especially the lower and middle castes.

[Traubert]

12 hours ago, twocatsmac said:

One case of Chang and 200 straws please.

Ah, how I've missed the old cliches.

 

Anutin got it right.