Lockdown extended in India until May 31
India yesterday extended a nationwide lockdown to May 31, as cases exceeded 90,000 and further clashes erupted between police and stranded migrants.
Schools, malls and other public places will remain mostly closed, though rules will be relaxed in areas with low numbers of cases, an order from the interior ministry said. In the new guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs for lockdown 4.0, states and Union Territories have been given powers to delineate the Red, Green and Orange Zones as the coronavirus situation demands.
Furthermore, inter-state movement of passenger vehicles, buses have been allowed with mutual consent of states.
No large gatherings
Large gatherings are still prohibited, but outside of containment zones with high numbers of active cases “all other activities will be permitted”, the order said, potentially allowing commerce and industry to reopen across much of the country. Decisions on where to set containment zones would be decided by district authorities, the order said.
India’s lockdown, introduced on March 25 was extended several times. The curbs have sparked a crisis for the hundreds of millions of Indians who rely on daily wages to survive.
With no work — and little public transport — many urban migrants attempting to return to their home villages have set out on gruelling journeys on foot or hitched rides in the back of trucks.
Migrant workers beaten up
In Rajkot in the western state of Gujarat, some 1,500 migrant workers blocked roads, damaged more than a dozen vehicles and threw stones at police yesterday, after two special trains that were supposed to take them home got cancelled.
A police official in Shapar told Reuters police batoncharged the migrants to disperse them. “The workers had not gathered with the intention of violence. Two or three trains were rescheduled, but the workers misunderstood that the trains had been cancelled, and resorted to violence,” another police official said.
India yesterday extended its nearly 2-month-old lockdown by two weeks after reporting nearly 5,000 new coronavirus cases, but said restrictions could be eased in low-risk areas to boost economic activity. After surpassing China on Saturday, India now has the most confirmed virus cases in Asia, with nearly 91,000, including 2,872 deaths.
List of activities that will remain prohibited
1
All domestic and international air travel, except for domestic medical services, domestic air ambulance and for security purposes. 2 Schools, colleges, educational/ training/coaching institutions etc will remain closed. Online/ distance learning shall continue to be permitted. 3
Hotels, restaurants and other hospitality services, except those meant for housing health/police/ government officials/health care 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. 4
All cinema halls, shopping malls, gymnasiums, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars and auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places will remain closed. Sports complexes and stadia can open, but without spectators. 5
All social/political/sports/ entertainment/academic/cultural/ religious functions/other gatherings and large congregations. 6
All places of worship shall be closed for public. The religious congregation are strictly prohibited.
Activities permitted with restrictions, except in 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 for 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 Health Ministry. 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 the Health Ministry. 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 supply of essential goods and services. 4
In the containment zones, there shall be intensive contact tracing, houseto-house surveillance, and other clinical interventions, as required.
Night curfew
The movement of individuals shall remain strictly prohibited between 7pm
to 7am, 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 (curfew) under section 144 of CrPC and ensure strict compliance.
Protection of vulnerable persons
1
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. 2
All other activities will be permitted, except those specifically prohibited. However, in containment zones, only essential activities shall be allowed.
Use of Aarogya Setu
1
Aarogya Setu enables early identification of potential risk of infection, and thus acts as a shield for individuals and the community. 2 With a view to ensuring safety in offices and work places, employers on best effort basis should ensure that Aarogya Setu is installed by all staff having compatible mobile phones.