The Centre on Sunday extended the nationwide lockdown for two more weeks to contain the spread of COVID-19 and has issued a fresh set of guidelines to be followed for the next phase between May 18 and May 31.
The new phase comes with considerable set of relaxations outside containment zones as the ministry of home affairs (MHA) has permitted barber shops, salons and shopping complexes to open, and allowed interstate movement of passenger cars and buses.
Flights services and metro train services, however, will continue to remain prohobited despite demands to reopen. The night curfew will also stay in effect, which means that all non-essential travel will remain prohibited between 7pm and 7am.
What’s Prohibited
The following activities shall continue to remain prohibited throughout the country:
All domestic and international air travel of passengers, except for domestic medical services, domestic air ambulance and for security purposes or purposes as permitted by MHA.
Metro rail services.
Schools, colleges, educational/ training/ coaching institutions etc. will remain closed. Online/ distance learning shall continue to be permitted and shall be encouraged.
Hotels, restaurants and other hospitality services, except those meant for housing health/ police/ Government officials/ healthcare workers/ stranded persons including tourists and for quarantine facilities; and running of canteens at bus depots, railway stations and airports. Restaurants shall be permitted to operate kitchens for home delivery of food items.
All cinema halls, shopping malls, gymnasiums, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars and auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places. Sports complexes and stadia will be permitted to open; however, spectators will not be allowed.
All social/ political/ sports/ entertainment/ academic/ cultural/ religious functions/ other gatherings and large congregations.
All religious places/ places of worship shall be closed for public. Religious congregations are strictly prohibited.
Activities Permitted Except in Containment Zones:
Inter-State movement of passenger vehicles and buses, with mutual consent of the State(s)/ UT(s) involved.
Intra-State movement of passenger vehicles and buses, as decided by the States and UTs.
Containment, Buffer, Red, Green and Orange Zones
The delineation of Red, Green and Orange Zones will be decided by the respective State and UT Governments, after taking into consideration the parameters shared by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India (Gol).
Within the Red and Orange Zones, Containment Zones and Buffer Zones will be demarcated by the District authorities, after taking into consideration the guidelines of MoHFW.
In the Containment Zones, only essential activities shall be allowed. There shall be strict perimeter control to ensure that there is no movement of people in or out of these zones, except for medical emergencies and for maintaining supply of essential goods and services. Guidelines of MoHFW shall be taken into consideration for the above purpose.
In the Containment Zones, there shall be intensive contact tracing, house-to- house surveillance, and other clinical interventions, as required.
Night curfew
The movement of individuals shall remain strictly prohibited between 7.00 pm to 7.00 am, except for essential activities. Local authorities shall issue orders, in the entire area of their jurisdiction, under appropriate provisions of law, such as prohibitory orders [Curfew] under Section 144 of CrPC, and ensure strict compliance.
Protection of vulnerable persons
Persons above 65 years of age, persons with co-morbidities, pregnant women, and children below the age of 10 years, shall stay at home, except for essential and health purposes.
All other activities will be permitted, except those which are specifically prohibited.
However, in Containment Zones, only essential activities shall be allowed, as mentioned in paragraph 5 (iii) above.
Further, States/ UTs, based on their assessment of the situation, may prohibit certain other activities in the various zones, or impose such restrictions as deemed necessary.