The Ministry of Home Affairs has on Friday said that the lockdown enforced due to the novel coronavirus pandemic has been extended for two weeks from May 4.
After a comprehensive review, and in view of the lockdown measures having led to significant gains the COVID-19 situation in the country, the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued an Order under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, today, to further extend the lockdown, read the notice.
In red zones, outside containment zones, certain activities are prohibited in addition to those prohibited throughout India. These include plying of cycle rickshaws and auto rickshaws; taxis and cab aggregators; intra-district and inter-district plying of buses and barber shops, spas and saloons, said MHA.
"MHA also issued new guidelines to regulate different activities in this period, based on the risk profiling of the distincts of the country into Red (hotspot), Green and Orange Zones," the notice added.
The next phase of lockdown, according to the MHA will permit "considerable relaxations" when it came to the districts that fall in the Green and Orange zones.
A limited number of activities will remain prohibited across India, irrespective of the zone, including travel by air, rail, metro and inter-State movement by road; running of schools, colleges, & other educational & training/coaching institutions, said MHA.
Certain other activities have been allowed in the Red Zones with restrictions. 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, viz., Special Economic Zones (SEZs), Export Oriented Units (EOUS), industrial estates and industrial townships with access control have been permitted.
The other industrial activities permitted are 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. However all standalone (single) shops, neighborhood (colony) shops and shops in residential complexes are permitted to remain open in urban areas, without any distinction of essential and non-essential.
In the Orange Zones, in addition to activities permitted in Red Zone, taxis and cab aggregators will be permitted with 1 driver and 1 passenger only. Inter-district movement of individuals and vehicles will be allowed for permitted activities only. Four wheeler vehicles will have maximum two passengers besides the driver and pillion riding will be allowed on two-wheelers.
In the Green Zones, all activities are permitted except the limited number of activities which are prohibited throughout the country, irrespective of the Zone. However buses can operate with upto 50% seating capacity and bus depots can operate with upto 50% capacity.
