New Delhi: In a major announcement on Sunday (May 17, 2020), the Centre has permitted the movement of public transport both within the state and between other states with mutual consent more than 50 days since the imposition of the nationwide lockdown to curb coronovirus COVID-19 spread.
Among other relaxations all the shops which includes barber shops and parlours, except those in malls and containment zones, will be allowed to reopen from Monday with staggered timings. The local authorities will have to ensure that social distancing rules are followed.
While flight services; Metro and rail services; educational institutions; shopping malls, cinema halls, gyms and parks continue to remain closed.
All religious places and congregations shall be closed to public. Sports complexes and stadia will be open but entry of spectators will not be allowed.
The fresh guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) allows e-commerce platforms to deliver all goods, including those considered non-essential, in all areas except containment zones.
In the nine-page guidelines issued by the MHA, restaurants shall be allowed to operate their kitchen for home delivery of food items. While canteens at airports, bus depots and railway stations has been allowed to cater the stranded Indians returning home.
The home ministry has allowed the states and UTs to decide on the coding of the various zones, saying that inside the red and orange zones, containment and buffer zones will be identified by the district administration or local urban bodies.
Wearing of face covers mas been made compulsory, while spitting is punishable inviting fine, and social distancing is to be followed by all persons in public places and in transport.
For marriage parties, not more than 50 persons and not more than 20 for funeral remains in effect.
The practice of work from home (WFH) with staggered working hours should be adopted in respect of all offices and other establishments where possible.
The statement urged people to install Aarogya Setu app by all who have compatible mobile phones.
State and UT Governments shall continue to strictly enforce the lockdown guidelines and they shall not dilute these guidelines issued under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, in any manner, the home ministry said.
Read full text here:
Guidelines on the measures to be taken by Ministries/ Departments of Government of India, State/ UT Governments and State/ UT Authorities for containment of COVID-19 in the country upto 31stMay, 2020. [As per Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Order No. 40-3/2020-DM-I (A) dated 17° May, 2020]
1. Lockdown shall continue to remain in force upto 310 May, 2020.
2. The following activities shall continue to remain prohibited throughout the country: i. 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. ii. Metro rail services. iii. Schools, colleges, educational/ training/ coaching institutions etc. will remain closed. Online/ distance learning shall continue to be permitted and shall be encouraged. iv. 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. v. 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. vi. Al! social/ political/ sports/ entertainment/ academic/ cultural/ religious functions/ other gatherings and large congregations. vii. All religious places/ places of worship shall be closed for public. Religious congregations are strictly prohibited.
3. The following activities shall be permitted with restrictions, except in the Containment Zones:
i. 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. iii. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for movement of persons, as mentioned in Annexure I, shall continue to operate.
4. National Directives for COVID-19 Management National Directives for COVID 19 Management, as specified in Annexure shall be followed throughout the country.
5. Containment, Buffer, Red, Green and Orange Zones i. 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 (M0HFW), Government of India (Gol). -
ii. 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. iv. In the Containment Zones, there shall be intensive contact tracing, house-to-house surveillance, and other clinical interventions, as required.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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 para 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.
9. Use of Aarogya Setu i. Aarogya Setu enables early identification of potential risk of infection, and thus acts as a shield for individuals and the community. ii. With a view to ensuring safety in offices and work places, employers on best effort basis should ensure that Aarogya Setu is installed by all employees having compatible mobile phones. iii. District authorities may advise individuals to install the Aarogya Setu application on compatible mobile phones and regularly update their health status on the app. This will facilitate timely provision of medical attention to those individuals who are at risk.
10. The guidelines specify the National Directives for COVID-19 management, which shall apply to public places and work places. Under these guidelines, wearing of face covers is compulsory; spitting will be punishable with fine as may be prescribed in accordance with its laws, rules or regulations by the State/ UT local authority; and social distancing is to be followed by all persons in public places and in transport. Marriage related gathering shall not have more than 50 guests. For funerals/ last rites, the maximum number of persons allowed has been kept at 20. Consumption of liquor, paan, gutkha and tobacco etc., is not allowed in public places.
11. The National Directives also stipulate additional requirements for work places. The practice of work from home (WfH) should be followed to the extent possible; and staggering of work hours should be adopted in respect of all offices and other establishments. There should be provision for thermal scanning, hand wash and sanitizers at all entry and exit points and common areas; and all work places and other sensitive locations are to be sanitized regularly. In work places, social distancing would also need to be ensured through adequate distance between workers, adequate gaps between shifts, staggering the lunch break of staff and so on.
Stipulations regarding shops and markets
12. Local authorities should ensure that shops and markets open with staggered timings, so as to ensure social distancing. All shops shall also have to ensure six feet distance (2 gaz ki doori) among customers and also not allow more than 5 persons at one time.
Night curfew
13. Night Curfew shall continue to remain in force on the movement of individuals, for all non-essential activities, between 7 pm and 7 am.
Protection for vulnerable persons
14. Vulnerable persons, i.e., 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 meeting essential requirements and for health purposes.
All activities to be permitted except those which are specifically prohibited
15. All other activities will be permitted except those which are specifically prohibited under these guidelines. However, in containment zones, only essential activities shall be allowed, as mentioned earlier.
States to decide on activities within various zones
16. 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.
Use of Aarogya Setu
17. The Aarogya Setu mobile application is a powerful tool built by Government of India to facilitate quick identification of persons infected by COVID-19, or at risk of being infected, thus acting as a shield for individuals and the community. With a view to ensure safety in offices and work places, employers on best effort basis should ensure that the application is installed by all employees having compatible mobile phones.
18. District authorities have been asked to advise individuals to install the Aarogya Setu application on compatible mobile phones and regularly update their health status on the app. This will facilitate timely provision of medical attention to those individuals who are at risk.
Strict enforcement19. State/ UT Governments shall continue to strictly enforce the lockdown guidelines and they shall not dilute these guidelines issued under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, in any manner.
Meanwhile, the death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 2,872 and the number of total positive cases climbed to 90,927, according to the Union Health Ministry on Sunday morning.
