New Delhi: The Centre today relaxed a number of restrictions that were in place earlier as it extended the lockdown for COVID-19 till May 31. The lockdown was first imposed for 21 days on March 25 and then extended on April 15 and again on May 4 to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
In its latest phase, the lockdown has been eased considerably. Outside of containment zones, the only activities closed across India are passenger flights, metro rail, hotels and in-restaurant dining, malls and entertainment parks, educational establishments, places of worship, auditoriums, gyms and swimming pools, and all gatherings for cultural, political, etc reasons. All other activities are permitted.
The big structural change from the last set of lockdown guidelines is that the complicated colour coded zones in to which the country was divided – red, orange and green – and permissible activities listed has now made way for two broad categorisations: containment zones and the rest of the country.
Only “essential servcices” will be permitted in containment zones but for the rest of India, regardless of the colour classification of districts, all activities other than those specifically prohibited will now be allowed, subject to physical distancing norms.
Moreoever, unlike the earlier guidelines, this time it will be up to the state ad Union territory governments themselves to define their own containment zones. They will also have the freedom to add to the list of prohibited activities.
Restaurants can home deliver; markets, barbers to reopen
An order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs said restaurants will be permitted to operate kitchens for home delivery of food items. Online and distance learning will continue. Sports complexes and stadia will be permitted to open, but without spectators.
With local markets and market complexes being allowed to open now, it will mean that services like salons and barbers will now become available. Earlier, barber shops were prohibited in red zones, which meant all of Delhi, for example. Now, unless the Delhi government decides to keep barber shops and beauty parlours shut, these can now reopen.
Bus services, private vehicles allowed to move in and between states, UTs
Inter- and intra-state movement of passengers vehicles and buses will be permitted with the mutual consent of states or union territories involved. However, the operations of metro trains, which had been demanded by several cities, including Delhi, has not been allowed. Since buses within cities are not prohibited, however, DTC should be able to resume its bus service now.
The MHA has also clarified that in the containment zones, only essential activities will be allowed and strict perimeter control observed, so that there is no movement of people in our out of these zones. Within the red, green or orange zones, though, the respective states and UT administrations can choose to add more activities to the prohibited list. Also, within the red and orange zones, the containment zones and buffer zones will be demarcated by the district authorities.
The order said all other activities, except those expressly prohibited, will be permitted. This means that construction, industry, manufacturing and other such activities, which were permitted in lockdown 3.0, will also continue. However, in containment zones, only essential services will be permitted.
Also read: I Drove From Chennai to Delhi During the Lockdown. Here’s What I Saw on the Way.
No air travel, metro services
Among the restrictions that still continue are domestic and international air travel (except for medical, security or ambulance services), metro rail services, schools, colleges, educational, training and coaching institutions, and normal operations of hotels, restaurants and other hospitality services.
Restrictions on large gatherings to stay
Cinema halls, shopping malls, gymnasiums, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars, assembly halls, religious places and places of worship will all remain closed. The restrictions on social, political, religious, entertainment and other gatherings and congregations imposed earlier will also stay.
This time the Centre had said it will take into consideration the requests made by various states and UTs for relaxing the lockdown norms. The extension has now come at a time when India has completed 54 days of lockdown.
Despite the social distancing enforced through it and restrictions on movement, the country has till today seen 90,927 COVID-19 infections and witnessed 2,872 deaths due to the virus.
Also read: Lockdown, Shutdown, Breakdown: India’s COVID Policy Must Be Driven By Data, Not Fear
States/UTs were asked to give suggestions, some took own decision
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in his address to the nation on May 12 stated that lockdown 4.0 will have a “completely different form”. The Centre had also urged the states and UTs to give their suggestions by May 15.
On May 15, Union home minister Amit Shah reportedly discussed these suggestions with ministry officials, including secretary Ajay Bhalla.
Several states had decided to extend the lockdown on their own even before the Centre’s announcement. These included Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Mizoram, Telangana and Karnataka. While Karnataka had extended it till May 19, most other states had done so till the end of the month.
Read the full order below.
MHA Order on Lockdown Exten… by The Wire on Scribd