Due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, the nation has witnessed several phases of lockdowns. Lockdown 4.0 ends tomorrow. Today, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has announced Lockdown 5.0 till 30th June 2020 with several relaxations. In a document titled ‘Unlock-1’, MHA has issued a three-phased re-opening plan. Many activities can resume from 8th June 2020 in the country except in containment zones. In containment zones, only essential activities will be allowed until 30th June 2020. Here are the guidelines for the fifth phase of the lockdown:
- Timings for night curfew are 9 pm to 5 am.
- No restrictions on inter-state and intra-state movements of goods and people.
- In phase-1 of re-opening: malls, hotels, restaurants and religious places will open from 8th June 2020 except in containment zones.
- In phase-2 of re-opening: schools, colleges, training institutions will open after consultations with stakeholders. This decision will be taken in July.
- In phase-3 of re-opening: gyms, cinema halls, metro travel, international air travel and other social and political congregations will be taken based on the assessment of the situation.
“However, if a state/union territory, based on reasons of public health and its assessment of the situation, proposes to regulate the movement of persons, it will give wide publicity in advance regarding the restrictions to be placed on such movements, and the related procedures to be followed,” says MHA in its order regarding no restrictions on the inter-state and intra-state movement of goods and people.
For phase-2 of reopening, MHA said, “State Governments/ UT administrations may hold consultations at the institution level with parents and other stakeholders. Based on the feedback, a decision on the re-opening of these institutions will be taken in July 2020.”
These guidelines are issued after extensive consultations held with states and union territories. According to MHA the Unlock-1 will mainly focus on the economic aspects.
“Within buffer zones, restrictions, as considered necessary, may be put in place by district authorities. Based on the assessment of situation, states, UTs may prohibit certain activities outside containment zones or impose restrictions,” said MHA.
From 01.06.2020
●Within Containment Zones, #Lockdown restrictions to continue till 30.06.2020
●#Unlock1 All activities to be relaxed in phased manner outside containment zones, as per @MoHFW_INDIA guidelines
●States may impose restrictions/prohibit activities as per assessment pic.twitter.com/LDbmvf6Gfa— Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) May 30, 2020
Along with these guidelines the previous ones- compulsion to cover the face with masks, social distancing, frequent sanitisation, thermal scanning, not more than 5 people at shops, not more than 50 people at weddings and not more than 20 people at funerals will continue. It is suggested to ‘work from home’ as much as possible.