The new guidelines for lockdown 4.0 unveiled by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) till May 31 allowed shops and markets including barber shops, salons and spas except those in malls to open with staggered timings. E-commerce companies were also permitted to deliver all goods, including those considered non-essential.
Here are the things you need to know about lockdown 4.0:
The following activities shall continue to remain prohibited throughout the country:
1. All domestic and international air travel of passengers, except for domestic medical services, domestic air ambulance and for security purposes or purposes as permitted by MHA.
2. Metro rail services.
3. Schools, colleges, educational/ training/ coaching institutions etc. will remain closed. Online/ distance learning shall continue to be permitted and shall be encouraged.
4. Hotels, restaurants and other hospitality services, except those meant for housing health/ police/ Government officials/ healthcare 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.
5. All cinema halls, shopping malls, gymnasiums, swimrning pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars and auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places. Sports complexes and stadia will be permitted to open, however, spectators will not be allowed.
6. All social/ political/ sports/ entertainment/ academic/ cultural/ religious functions/ other gatherings and large congregations.
7. All religious places/ places of worship shall be closed for public. Religious congregations are strictly prohibited.
The following activities shall be permitted with restrictions, except in the Containment Zones:
1. Inter-State movement of passenger vehicles and buses, with mutual consent of the State(s)/ UT(s) involved.
2. Intra-State movernent of passenger vehicles and buses, as decided by the States and UTs.
3. Unlike the previous lockdowns, 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 Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India (Go)).
4. 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.
5. In the Containment Zones, there shall be intensive contact tracing, house-to-house surveillance, and other clinical interventions, as required.
6. Night curfew. The movement of individuals shall remain strictly prohibited between 7.00 pm to 7.00 am, except for essential activities.
7. Protection of vulnerable persons 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.
8. All other activities will be permitted, except those which are specifically prohibited. However, in Containment Zones, only essential activities shall be allowed
Special directions to ensure movement of persons and goods in certain cases.
1. All States/ UTs shall allow inter-State and intra-State movement of medical professionals, nurses and pars medical staff, sanitation personnel and ambulances, without any restriction.
2. All States/ UTs shall allow inter-State movement of all types of goods/ cargo, including empty trucks.
3. No State/ UT shall stop the movement of any type of goods/ cargo for cross land-border trade under Treaties with neighbouring countries.
Punishments for violators
Any person violating these measures will be liable to be proceeded against as per the provisions of Section 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, besides legal action under Sec. 188 of the IPC, and other legal provisions as applicable.