Government of India on Sunday extended the lockdown till May 31 with new Guidelines. The new Guidelines for lockdown 4 give more power to states in making decisions.
New Guidelines:
The following activities shall continue to remain prohibited throughout the country:
1) All domestic and international air travel of passengers, except for domestic medical services, domestic air ambulance and for security purposes or purposes s permitted by MHA.
2) Metro rail services to remain shut.
3) Schools, Colleges, educational/training/ coaching institutions etc. will remain closed. Online/ distance learning shall continue to be permitted and shall be encouraged.
4) 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.
5) All cinema halls, shopping malls, gymnasiums, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars and auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places to remain closed. Sports complexes and stadia will be permitted to open; however, spectators will not be allowed.
6) All social/ political/ sports/ entertainment/ academic/ cultural/ religious functions/ other gatherings and large congregations are prohibited.
7) All religious places/ places of worship shall be closed for public. Religious congregations are strictly prohibited.
The following activities shall be permitted with restrictions, except in the containment zones:
1) Inter-state movement of passenger vehicles and buses with mutual consent of the states/UTs involved.
2) Intra-State movement of passenger vehicles and buses, as decided by the states and UTs.
3) Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the movement of persons, as mentioned in Annexure 1, shall continue to operate.
Containment, Buffer, red, Green and orange Zones
1) 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 the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), Government of India (GOI).
2) 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.
3) 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 the supply of essential goods and services. Guidelines of MOHFW shall be taken into consideration for the above purpose.
4) 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 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.
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.
