Lockdown 4.0 guidelines: How rules will be different from existing ones

India will enter into the fourth phase of lockdown from May 18 but with a different set of rules and guidelines as was issued by the Home Ministry on Sunday. While several relaxations have been allowed, including the inter-state movement of passenger vehicles and buses and opening of sports complexes and stadiums, schools, malls and restaurants would remain shut and suspension of flight and metro services would remain in force till May 31.

Hotels, restaurants, cinema halls, malls, swimming pools, gyms will also remain shut. The MHA said inter-state movement of passenger vehicles, buses would be allowed with mutual consent of states. States and Union Territories have been given the powers for delineation of Red, Green and Orange Zones as per the COVID-19 situation, the MHA said.

The 54-day curfew in India, owing to the rising number of coronavirus cases across the country, was first imposed for 21 days starting March 25 and then extended from April 15 and May 4.

According to the latest figures provided by the Union Health Ministry, the total number of coronavirus cases in India surpassed China’s tally with 90,927 infections and death toll soared to 2,872 on Sunday.

New Rules;

> 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.

> The guidelines have made a notable climbdown on use of Aarogya Setu app. While in the last guideline the Centre had made the use of Aarogya Setu app mandatory for employees in an office and put the onus of implementation on employers, the new guidelines have asked them to make “best efforts” in that direction.

> All shops, except those in containment zones and malls, will be allowed to open from Monday with staggered timings during lockdown 4.0.

> Sports complexes and stadia permitted to reopen but declared out of bounds for spectators.

> E-commerce platforms allowed to deliver non-essential items even in red zones, barring the containment areas. Sale of non-essential items by e-commerce companies has already allowed in green and orange zones.

> 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.

> 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 & Family Welfare.

Here’s what is already allowed in Red Zones;

* Movement of individuals and vehicles is allowed only for permitted activities, with a maximum of 2 persons (besides the driver) in four-wheeler vehicles, and with no pillion rider in the case of two-wheelers

* Industrial establishments in urban areas – Special Economic Zones (SEZs), Export Oriented Units (EOUs), industrial estates and industrial townships with access control have been permitted

* Manufacturing units of essential goods, including drugs, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, their raw material and intermediates; production units, which require continuous process, and their supply chain; manufacturing of IT hardware; jute industry with staggered shifts and social distancing; and, manufacturing units of packaging material

* Construction activities in urban areas have been limited to in-situ construction (where workers are available on site and no workers are required to be brought in from outside) and construction of renewable energy projects.

* Shops in urban areas, for non-essential goods, are not allowed in malls, markets and market complexes.

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

* In rural areas, without distinction of nature of goods, all shops except in shopping malls, are permitted

* All agricultural activities – sowing, harvesting, procurement and marketing operations in the agricultural supply chain are permitted.

* Animal husbandry activities are fully permitted including fisheries

* All plantation activities are allowed, including their processing and marketing.

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

* Financial sector to remain open largely. This includes banks, non-banking finance companies, insurance and capital market activities, and credit co-op societies

* Operation of homes for children, senior citizens, destitute, women and widows, etc

* Operation of anganwadis

* Public utilities in power, water, sanitation, waste management, telecommunication and internet

* Courier and postal services

* E-Commerce activities, in the Red Zones, are permitted only in respect of essential goods

* Private offices can operate with up to 33% strength as per requirement, with the remaining persons working from home

* All standalone (single) shops, neighbourhood (colony) shops and shops in residential complexes are permitted to remain open in urban areas, without any distinction of essential and non-essential.

* All Government offices shall function with senior officers of the level of Deputy Secretary and above at full strength, and the remaining staff attending up to 33% as per requirement. Defence and Security services, Health and Family Welfare, Police, Prisons, Home Guards, Civil Defence, Fire and Emergency Services, Disaster management and related services, National Informatics Centre (NIC), Customs, Food Corporation of India (FCI), National Cadet Corps (NCC), Nehru Yuvak Kendra (NYK) and Municipal services shall function without any restrictions; delivery of public services shall be ensured and necessary staff will be deployed for such purpose.

* Print and electronic media, IT and IT-enabled services, data and call centres, cold storage and warehousing services, private security and facility management services, and services provided by self-employed persons, except for barbers etc.

* Manufacturing units of essential goods, including drugs, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, their raw material and intermediates; production units, which require continuous process, and their supply chain

* Jute industry with staggered shifts and social distancing; and manufacturing of IT hardware and manufacturing units of packaging material will continue to be permitted.

PM Modi first addressed the nation over India’s coronavirus preparedness on March 19, where he announced a “Janta curfew” on March 22. On March 24, he announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown. On April 14, he extended the lockdown period till May 3. On April 3, in a video message, Modi asked the nation to light lamps for frontline corona warriors on April 5. The lockdown was further extended till May 17 by the Home Ministry.

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