Mumbai: Maharashtra government on Sunday (May 31, 2020) released new COVID-19 lockdown relaxation guidelines in order to restart activities in the state after the coronavirus outbreak restricted people inside their homes. The State government has called it the “Mission Begin Again” which will be implemented in a phased manner for the non-COVID-19 containment zones.
The Mission Begin Again will be in three phases where the first phase will begin from June 3, 2020, second from June 5, and the third one will come into effect from June 8.
In containment zones, only essential activities shall be allowed. There shall be strict perimeter control to ensure there is no movement of people in and out of these zones, except for medical emergencies and for maintaining the supply of essential goods.
In Municipal Corporations of MMR Region including MCGM, Municipal Corporations of Pune, Solapur, Aurangabad, Malegaon, Nashik, Dhule, Jalgaon, Akola, Amravati and Nagpur, following activities are additionally permitted with restrictions, in phases as described below except containment zones.
PHASE I (To begin from June 3):
Outdoor physical activities:
- Individual physical exercises like cycling/jogging/running/walking shall be permitted on public open spaces including beaches, public/private playgrounds, grounds belonging to societies/institutions, gardens and promenades with following conditions. No activities will be permitted in the indoor portions of the indoor stadiums.
This will be allowed between 5 am to 7 pm. No group activity will be permitted. However, children should be accompanied by an adult. People are advised to stay outdoors only for the purposes of physical activities for a limited duration.
No other activity is permitted. People are permitted to use only nearby/neighbourhood open spaces. Long-distance travel will not be permitted.
People are advised to avoid crowded open spaces. People are actively encouraged to use cycling as a form of physical exercise as it automatically ensures social distancing.
- Activities related to self-employed people like plumbers, electricians, pest-control and technicians with social distancing norms and usage of masks and sanitization.
- Garages to mend vehicles and workshops with prior appointments.
All Government offices (excluding Emergency, health & Medical, treasuries, disaster management, police, NIC, food & Civil Supply, FCI, N.Y.K., Municipal Services who can operate at the levels as per the need) will function at 15% strength or minimum 15 employees whichever is more.
PHASE II (To begin from June 5):
- All markets, market areas & shops, except malls and market complexes, are allowed to function on Pl -P2 basis (shops on one side of the road/lane/passage to be opened on odd dates while shops on the other side on even dates) from 9 am to 5 pm with following conditions:
a. The use of trial rooms in the shops will not be permitted for clothes, apparel and similar items to prevent the spread of infection. Similarly, the exchange policy and return policy will not be permitted.
b. The shopkeepers will be responsible for ensuring social distancing norms in the shops and are encouraged to take measures such as foot markings on the floor, token system, home delivery etc.
c. People are advised to walk / to use cycles for shopping purposes and to use nearby/neighborhood markets as far as possible. Long-distance travel for non- essential items will not be permitted. The use of motorized vehicles for shopping will be strictly discouraged.
d. If any failure of social distancing is seen, then authorities will immediately close down such shops/markets.
- Movement of people is allowed in following manner:
- Taxi/Cab/aggregator - Only essential 1 +2
- Rickshaw - Only essential 1 + 2
- Four Wheeler - Only essential 1 + 2
- Two-wheeler - Only essential One Rider
PHASE III (To begin from June 8):
- All private offices can operate with up to 10% strength as per requirement, with remaining persons working from home. However, all the employers will take sensitisation programs to educate the employees to take adequate precautions on returning home so that vulnerable groups especially the elderly is not infected.
The following activities will remain prohibited across the state:
- Schools, colleges, educational, training, coaching institutions etc.
- International air travel of passengers, except as permitted by MHA.
- Metro Rail.
- Passenger Movement by trains and domestic air travel unless specifically allowed through separate orders and standard operating procedure (SOP)
- Cinema halls, gymnasiums, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars and auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places.
- Social/ political/ sports/ entertainment] academic/ cultural/ religious functions and large congregations.
- Religious places/ places of worship for public.
- Barber Shops, Spas, Saloons, Beauty Parlours.
- Shopping Malls, Hotels, Restaurants and other Hospitality Services.
(Easing of Restrictions and opening up for these activities will be done in phased manner along with Standard Operating Procedures/Guidelines)
In the rest of State except the areas in Municipal Corporation of MMR region, MCGM, Municipal corporations of Pune, Solapur, Aurangabad, Malegaon, Nasik, Dhule, Jalgaon, Akola, Amaravati & Nagpur, all activities, which are not mentioned above in the copy and which are not explicitly prohibited or banned, shall continue to be permitted with following conditions:
- No permission is needed from any government authorities for permitted activities.
- The outdoor portion of Sport complexes and stadia and other open to sky public spaces will be permitted to remain open for individual exercises, however, spectators and group activities will not be allowed. No activities allowed in the indoor portions or indoor stadium.
- Intradistrict bus service will be allowed with maximum 50% capacity per bus with physical distancing and sanitisation measures.
- Inter-district bus service remain suspended.
- All markets/shops to open from 9am-5pm. If any crowding or failure of social distancing norms is seen, then authorities will immediately close down such markets/shops.
