* The economy is limping back to normalcy as unlock 1.0 reopens malls, workplaces, restaurants and salons. Yet, stepping out of the house is no longer the same.

India is the fourth most Covid-19 infected country in the world with nearly 5,00,000 positive cases. After two months of a stringent nationwide lockdown that began on March 25, the economy is limping back to normalcy as restrictions are being eased. Public transport has resumed. Workplaces, malls, restaurants, cafés and salons have lifted their shutters. And even as the risk of infection hasn’t abated, places of worship have thrown open their gates for the masses.

But stepping out of the house is no longer the same. Equipped with bottles of sanitisers, face masks and gloves, Delhi’s average commuters are still learning to freeze in compliance when a thermal gun is raised to their head for a temperature check. With only 20 people allowed to board a public bus, commuters now have to wait for hours to get a ride back home. Flouting social distancing rules, not wearing a mask or spitting in public are now punishable offences with fines ranging from ₹500 for a first-time offender to ₹1,000 for repeat offenders

 

Vijay Pandey is a Delhi-based freelance photographer

Trading safety: To earn a living, vendors such as Ganesh spend eight hours at the Ghazipur wholesale vegetable market, exposing themselves to the risks of infection

Guarded: A reopened café at Connaught Place hardly sees any visitors, but a staff member wears a face shield and a mask through the day

In God we trust: A man offers prayers at the Jama Masjid mosque which opened on June 8

Photo: Vijay Pandey

Suit up: Delhi apparel stores stock up on personal protection equipment kits for children

Rush hour: People flout social distancing norms while crowding into a bus at Anand Vihar

Statue: A civil defence personnel stops a commuter for a temperature check

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Desolate: A man cycles on the empty roads at India Gate, which is usually teeming with visitors