Coronavirus: Lockdown extended by two weeks, says MHA

Mukesh Ranjan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 1

With two days left for the nationwide lockdown period to end, the government today extended it by another two weeks beginning May 4 to contain spread of COVID-19 infection in the country. The government, however, claimed districts with improved rate of cases will have “considerable relaxations”.

In an official statement the government said, “After a comprehensive review, and in view of the Lockdown measures having led to significant gains in the COVID-19 situation in the country, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), issued an Order under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, today, to further extend the Lockdown for a further period of two weeks beyond May 4, 2020.”

Read: Permitted and prohibited activities during lockdown after May 4

The statement said that based on the risk profiling of the districts  of the country into Red (hotspot), Green and Orange Zones the new MHA guidelines, regulating different activities in this period, have “permitted considerable relaxations in the districts falling in the Green and Orange Zones”

Referring to Ministry of Health and family Welfare (MoHFW) letter issued on April 30, 2020, the MHA said, “The Green Zones will be districts with either zero confirmed cases till date; or, no confirmed case in the last 21 days. Red Zones will take into account the total number of active cases, doubling rate of confirmed cases, extent of testing and surveillance feedback from the districts. Those districts, which are neither defined as Red nor Green, shall be classified as Orange zones”.

However, the MHA order said, “A limited number of activities will remain prohibited throughout the country, irrespective of the Zones.  These include travel by air, rail, metro and inter-State movement by road; running of schools, colleges, and other educational and training/coaching institutions; hospitality services, including hotels and restaurants.” It will also include places of large public gatherings, such as cinema halls, malls etc; social, political, cultural and other kinds of gatherings; and, religious places/places of worship for public.  But movement of persons by air, rail and road is allowed for select purposes, and for purposes as permitted by MHA, the guidelines said.

The local authority has been directed to ensure 100 percent coverage of Aarogya Setu app among the residents of the Containment Zone, which will have “intensified surveillance protocols, with contact tracing, house to house surveillance, home/ institutional quarantining of persons based on their risk assessment, and clinical management”.

The new guidelines also prescribe certain measures for well being and safety of persons.  “Hence, movement of individuals, for all non-essential activities, shall remain strictly prohibited between 7 pm to 7 am,” it said, adding that in all zones, 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.

ACTIVITIES ALLOWED IN RED ZONES

All industrial and construction activities in rural areas, including MNREGA works, food-processing units and brick-kilns

Without distinction to the nature of goods, all shops, except in shopping malls are permitted

All agriculture activities, e.g., sowing, harvesting, procurement and marketing operations

Animal husbandry activities including inland and marine fisheries

All plantation activities including their processing and marketing

All health services (including AYUSH) to remain functional, including transport of medical personnel and patients through air ambulances.

Financial sector, including banks, non-banking finance companies (NBFCs), insurance and capital market activities, and credit co-operative societies

Public utilities, e.g., power, water, sanitation, waste management, telecommunications and internet

Courier and postal services will be allowed to operate

Commercial and private establishments including print and electronic media, IT and IT enabled services, cold storage and warehousing services, private security and services provided by self-employed persons, except for barbers etc

GENERAL RELAXATIONS

All goods traffic, as no State/ UT shall stop the movement of cargo for cross land-border trade under Treaties with neighbouring countries.

No separate pass of any sort is needed for such movement, which is essential for maintaining the supply chain of goods and services across the country during the lockdown period.

ACTIVITIES ALLOWED IN ORANGE ZONE (IN ADDITION TO GENERAL RELAXATIONS)

Taxis and cab aggregators with 1 driver and 1 passenger only.

Inter-district movement of individuals and vehicles for permitted activities only.

Four wheeler vehicles will have maximum two passengers besides the driver and pillion riding on two-wheelers.

ACTIVITIES ALLOWED IN GREEN ZONE

All activities are permitted except the limited number of activities which are prohibited throughout the country, irrespective of the Zones. However buses can operate with up to 50 percent seating capacity and bus depots can operate with up to 50 percent capacity.

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