India has been under a state of lockdown since March 25. The country continues to combat the novel coronavirus outbreak, and on Saturday, even as the number of cases crossed the Centre has announced a fifth phase of lockdown.
This however is primarily for containment zones within the country, where only essential services will be permitted till the end of June. For the rest of the country, as the MHA order states, there will be "phased re-opening" of areas outside containment zones.
In case you were wondering, a containment zone is a small area that has recorded novel coronavirus cases within a red or orange zone. It can even be as small as a single floor of a high-rise building.
Lockdown 4.0 has mentioned a night curfew, and the latest phase had taken it forward, albeit with slightly different timings. Under lockdown 4.0 the movement of individuals was strictly prohibited between 7 pm and 7 am, unless it was for essential activities.
Now, in lockdown 5.0, the timings have been changed to give more leeway. On Saturday the Home Ministry said that the movement of individuals is strictly prohibited between 9 pm and 5 am, except for essential activities.
"Local authorities shall issue orders, in the entire area of their jurisdiction, under appropriate provisions of law, such as under Section 144 of CrPC, and ensure strict compliance," the MHA order read.
Keep in mind that aside from the night curfew restrictions, containment zones will permit only essential services. Thus if your area is a containment zone, travel and other activities would remain curtailed irrespective of the time.
