Weekend lockdown; stringent curbs on weekdays: Maharashtra govt issues new COVID-19 guidelines to 'break the chain'

Weekend lockdown; stringent curbs on weekdays: Maharashtra govt issues new COVID-19 guidelines to 'break the chain'

Sanjay JogUpdated: Sunday, April 04, 2021, 11:58 PM IST
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Mumbai: Crowd gathered for shopping on Sunday evening at Ghatkopar's MG road . | Photo by BL SONI

Mumbai: Enforcing its ‘Break the Chain’ initiative, the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government has imposed strict restrictions throughout the week and weekend lockdowns, starting from April 5. This plan replaces the government’s earlier ‘MissionBeginAgain’. There will be a complete lockdown except for essential services, from 8pm on Fridays to 7am on Monday, while a night curfew will be in place from 8pm to 7am every day. All private offices will remain shut while government offices will function at 50 per cent strength, except for those involved in Covid-19 work, which will operate with 100 per cent staff. Shops, malls, markets, cinema halls, drama theatres, salons will remain shut.

The government has issued these orders on a day when a record 57,074 new Covid cases, including 11,163 in Mumbai were reported across Maharashtra. The order will come into force from 8pm on Monday, April 5, 2021 and remain in force till 11.59pm on April 30, 2021. The order was issued after an emergency meeting chaired by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday afternoon, after speaking to cross-sections of society.

Section 144 will be imposed in the state. From 7am to 8pm, Monday to Friday, no more than five people can move together or gather in any public place. For the rest of the day, (from 8pm to 7am on weekdays and from 8pm on Friday to 7am on Monday) no one can move around in public places without a valid reason.

Only essential service workers will be allowed to travel at night. Hotels and restaurants can only allow takeaways, no dining is permitted. The government has not imposed any ban on public transport including trains, autorickshaws and buses but only sitting passengers will be allowed. The government has proposed a penalty for the violation of norms while traveling by public transport and for those not wearing masks.

Medical and other essential services are exempted and their movements or operations will remain unrestricted. Essential services include hospitals, diagnostic centres, clinics, medical insurance offices, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies, other medical and health services. They will also include groceries, vegetables shops, dairies, bakeries, confectioners’, food shops and agriculture-related services.

Outdoor activity

All beaches/ gardens/ public grounds to remain closed from 8pm to 7am on weekdays and from 8pm Friday to 7am Monday. Between 7am to 8pm on Monday to Friday, visitors are to follow strictly Covid-appropriate behaviour. Local authorities are to ensure that such places are closely supervised and in case of crowding at such locations where authorities feel that the behaviour of visitors is unruly and may lead to transmission/ spread of the virus, then they may close down the same.

Shops, markets and malls

All shops, markets and malls to remain closed throughout the day except for essential services.

Essential services shops are to operate by ensuring social distancing between customers on the shop premises. Extra customers to be kept waiting with adequate social distancing with markings wherever possible. Essential shopowners and persons working at all shops are to get vaccinated at the earliest, as per the criteria of Gol.

Owners of all shops closed for now are advised to get all their workers vaccinated as per the criteria of GoI and prepare measures for interaction with customers through transparent shield, and encourage electronic payment so that the government can expedite reopening the same without fear of spreading the virus.

Public Transport:

Public transport will be fully operational with following restrictions:

Autorickshaw - Driver + 2 passengers only

Taxi (four-wheelers) - Driver +50 per cent vehicle capacity, as per RTO

Bus - Full seating occupancy as per RTO passing. However, no standing passengers will be allowed.

a) All persons using public transport to compulsorily wear masks in a proper manner, barring which a fine of Rs 500 will be imposed on the offenders.

b) In four-wheeler taxi, if any one person is not wearing a mask, the offender and the driver of the taxi will be fined an amount of Rs 500 each.

c) All vehicles to be sanitised after every trip.

d) All public transport drivers and other staff coming into contact with the public to get vaccinated at the earliest, as per the criteria of Gol and till vaccinated completely, to carry negative corona result certificate valid up to 15 days. This rule will come into effect from April 10, 2021. For taxis and autos, however, if the driver isolates himself or herself through a plastic sheet or otherwise, he or she may be exempted from this requirement.

e) In case if any of the above are found to be without negative RT-PCR certificate/ without being vaccinated as above, a fine of Rs 1,000 will be levied.

f) In the case of outstation trains, railway authorities to ensure that there are no standing passengers in the general compartment and all passengers use masks.

g) Fine of Rs 500 to be levied in all trains for non-use of masks.

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