COVID19 Travel Restrictions in Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, And Tamil Nadu | All You Need to Know

KEY STORY

• New Delhi: Amidst the rapidly increasing COVID-19 cases during the deadly second wave, several state governments across India have imposed stringent travel and movement restrictions in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus infection. While Delhi has extended the lockdown till 5 AM, May 3 due to the crisis, other states such as Karnataka, Kerala, and Maharashtra too announced travel restrictions.

• Here are all the COVID-19 travel restrictions and lockdown norms imposed in various states in India. 

  • Delhi

   

• Recently, Delhi government announced a six-day lockdown till April 26, 2021, due to the rising coronavirus cases.  However, on Sunday, the Delhi government extended the lockdown by a week more, i.e., till 5 AM, May 3. It is a “last resort” measure put in place to arrest the alarming spread of Covid-19 in the Capital, as the health care infrastructure remained overwhelmed by a massive surge in infections. In the city, there are complaints of shortages of medical oxygen and hospital beds.

• While unnecessary travelling and vehicle movement has been restricted in the national capital, there are exceptions as well. Essential activities, including the sale and supply of food items, groceries, medicines, etc., are allowed in the lockdown. T

• here are no restrictions on the movement of health care workers, frontline workers, government staff, judicial officials, journalists and those seeking medical attention.

• The lockdown order issued on Sunday also specified that there will be no restrictions on the interstate and intrastate movement of all types or goods, cargoes and empty trucks. They don’t need any separate movement passes.

• Delhi Metro and public buses are functional but with only 50% occupancy. Autos and electric autorickshaws are allowed to run with only two passengers. Taxis, app cabs too are allowed to move with two passengers. Petrol pumps, CNG stations, LPG stations are functional.

• Karnataka

• Amid the ever-increasing coronavirus cases, on Monday, the BS Yediyurappa-led Karnataka government imposed a 14-day curfew in the state. The lockdown will begin on Tuesday night from 9 PM.

• Essential services will be allowed between 6-10 am; after 10 am shops will remain closed; only construction, manufacturing, and agriculture sectors are allowed to function. Meanwhile public transport will remain shut; schools, colleges, universities will remain shut; Inter or intra-state travel will not be allowed, except for emergency purposes.

• Also, home delivery of liquor is permitted, takeaway from restaurants will be available and interstate transportation of goods will function too.

• State and central government employees, essential services’ employees can move and avail transportation upon providing valid IDs. People eligible for vaccination can move and avail transport system upon showing minimal proof. The state will provide free vaccination to all including people aged between 18-45 years.

• Patients and their helpers and close relatives requiring essential travel are allowed to move. People who need medical assistance can move. In case of emergencies, people required to visit doctors or hospitals are free to move.

• Taxis (including auto rickshaws) and services of cab aggregators can be used only for emergencies, vaccination, to take people who work in exempted industries or jobs and to take people to railway stations and airports.

• Maharashtra

• In Maharashtra, one of the worst-hit states in India, the travel restrictions are in effect till 7 am on May 1, 2021. These restrictions have been imposed to ensure that a maximum number of people remain at home.

• Unnecessary traveling is barred, while the essential service workers are allowed to move by providing valid identity proof. Public transportation too is allowed to be operational for the personnel involved in essential services.

• The local trains, metro, and monorail services are operational only for government employees and healthcare workers, upon production of valid I cards. Movement of private passenger transport such as taxis and autorickshaws is only for emergency and essential services and restricted to within the city of residence with the driver plus 50 per cent of the seating capacity.

• The emergency and essential services’ workers can avail themselves the state-run buses but these are allowed to operate at 50% of total capacity.

• Kerala

• Kerala has announced that the state will not see a total lockdown, but strict restrictions will remain in place. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, after a virtual all-party meeting on Monday, said that the government will impose restrictions on non-essential activities and weekend curfews to curb the spread of the virus.

• In the state, the 9 pm to 5 am night curfews and the weekend curfews, during which only essential activities will be allowed, shall continue, the CM added. Public transport will carry on unhindered. For private transport during curfews, people will have to state reasons for stepping out.

• Cinema theatres, shopping malls, gymnasiums, sports complexes, clubs, swimming pools, tourism parks, bars and outlets selling foreign liquor will be temporarily shut down across the state. Religious places, especially mosques during the ongoing Ramzan, must control crowds to less than 50 at a time.

• Meanwhile only vehicles carrying people involved in essential and emergency services are allowed to ply on roads. The vehicles related to hospital emergencies, election related vehicles are exempted from the restrictions. However, no unnecessary venturing out on roads is allowed.

• No more than 50 people can attend weddings while the same for funerals is 20. All such functions shall be held after registering on the Covid-19 jagratha portal.

• Tamil Nadu

• Tamil Nadu too has announced a slew of COVID-related travel restrictions in the state effective from April 26. The state has joined other states in imposing weekend lockdowns and has announced a complete lockdown in the state on Sundays, with an exemption for essential services.

• Unnecessary travelling has been restricted in the state. However, people working in essential service sectors and people travelling for emergency reasons are allowed to move, but they have to provide valid IDs and reasons. Passengers travelling to Tamil Nadu from other states, except for Puducherry, will need to apply for an e-pass through the government portal.

• Cabs are allowed to ferry only a total of three passengers excluding the driver while auto rickshaws will be allowed to carry two passengers excluding the driver.

• Private and government bus services are allowed to be functional but passengers will not be allowed to travel while standing. Grocery, vegetable and other outlets are allowed following standard operating procedures.