Lockdown extended till May 31; Read the guidelines

TheCentre has extended the nationwide lockdown for two more weeks until May 31with significant relaxations. In an order issued on Sunday, the Ministry ofHome Affairs said that barbershops, salons, shopping complexes and markets canopen starting Monday.

Flights services and metro train services, however, willcontinue to remain prohobited despite demands to reopen. The night curfew willalso stay in effect, which means that all non-essential travel will remainprohibited between 7pm and 7am.

What's Prohibited

The following activities shallcontinue to remain prohibited throughout the country:

All domestic and internationalair travel of passengers, except for domestic medical services, domestic airambulance and for security purposes or purposes as permitted by MHA.

Metro rail services.

Schools, colleges, educational/training/ coaching institutions etc. will remain closed. Online/ distance learningshall continue to be permitted and shall be encouraged.

Hotels, restaurants and otherhospitality services, except those meant for housing health/ police/ Governmentofficials/ healthcare workers/ stranded persons including tourists and forquarantine facilities; and running of canteens at bus depots, railway stationsand airports. Restaurants shall be permitted to operate kitchens for homedelivery of food items.

All cinema halls, shoppingmalls, gymnasiums, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars andauditoriums, assembly halls and similar places. Sports complexes and stadiawill be permitted to open; however, spectators will not be allowed.

All social/ political/ sports/entertainment/ academic/ cultural/ religious functions/ other gatherings andlarge congregations.

All religious places/ places ofworship shall be closed for public. Religious congregations are strictlyprohibited.

Activities PermittedExcept in Containment Zones:

Inter-State movement ofpassenger vehicles and buses, with mutual consent of the State(s)/ UT(s)involved.

Intra-State movement ofpassenger vehicles and buses, as decided by the States and UTs.

Containment, Buffer,Red, Green and Orange Zones

The delineation of Red, Greenand Orange Zones will be decided by the respective State and UT Governments,after taking into consideration the parameters shared by Ministry of Health& Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India (Gol).

Within the Red and OrangeZones, Containment Zones and Buffer Zones will be demarcated by the Districtauthorities, after taking into consideration the guidelines of MoHFW.

In the Containment Zones, onlyessential activities shall be allowed. There shall be strict perimeter controlto ensure that there is no movement of people in or out of these zones, exceptfor medical emergencies and for maintaining supply of essential goods andservices. Guidelines of MoHFW shall be taken into consideration for the abovepurpose.

In the Containment Zones, thereshall be intensive contact tracing, house-to- house surveillance, and otherclinical interventions, as required.

Night curfew

The movement of individualsshall remain strictly prohibited between 7.00 pm to 7.00 am, except foressential activities. Local authorities shall issue orders, in the entire areaof their jurisdiction, under appropriate provisions of law, such as prohibitoryorders [Curfew] under Section 144 of CrPC, and ensure strict compliance.

Protection ofvulnerable persons

Persons above 65 years of age,persons with co-morbidities, pregnant women, and children below the age of 10years, shall stay at home, except for essential and health purposes.

All other activities will bepermitted, except those which are specifically prohibited.

However, in Containment Zones,only essential activities shall be allowed, as mentioned in para 5(iii) above.

Further, States/ UTs, based ontheir assessment of the situation, may prohibit certain other activities in thevarious zones, or impose such restrictions as deemed necessary.