Here is the list of new MHA guidelines for Lockdown 2.0

By Akshara Bharat.

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of the ongoing country-wide lockdown till May 3, the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued detailed guidelines for states, Union Territories and general public to follow.

The home ministry issued an order mentioning a list of activities that will be allowed after April 20, 2020 and those which are barred. The government has given some relief to the Manufacturing units and industries functioning from Special Economic Zones (SEZs).

लॉकडाउन बढ़ने की घोषणा के बाद तीन मई तक यात्री ट्रेनें और हवाई सफर रद्द

Guidelines during the lockdown :

1. Sale of tobacco, gutka and liquor during the lockdown period is strictly prohibited and spitting has been made a punishable offence.
2. Industries functioning in rural areas, that is outside municipal areas, can resume operations from April 30 but must adhere to strict social distancing norms.
3. Gatherings during funerals and marriages will be supervised and regulated by the District Magistrate.
4. Manufacturing and industrial establishments functioning in Special Economic Zones (SEZ) and Export Oriented Units (EOU), industrial estates and industrial townships will be allowed to resume operations after April 20. These establishments will have to make arrangements for the stay and transport of its workers as per requirements.
5. Manufacturing units producing essential goods such as drugs, medicines etc have been allowed to function.
6. All educational, training institutions etc shall remain closed. Taxis (including auto and cycle rickshaws) and services of cab aggregators will remain closed until May 3. Cinema halls, malls, shopping/sports complexes, gyms, swimming pools, theaters, bars etc are not allowed to function till May 3rd as well.
7. Face masks are mandatory in all public places, workplaces.
8. Work spaces have been asked to conduct screening of all employees and maintain a gap of 1 hour in between shifts and stagger lunch breaks etc.
9. All international, domestic flights as well as train services remain suspended till May 3
10. All social, political, sports, religious functions, religious places, places of worship shall remain shut till May 3.
11. From April 20, when there will be some relaxation in areas that are not coronavirus hotspots, activities will be permitted, including agricultural, horticultural, farming, procurement of agri products, ‘mandis’.
12. Shops of farm machinery, its spare parts, supply chain, repairs, ‘Custom Hiring Centres’ related to machinery to remain open from Apr 20.
13. Highway ‘dhabas’, truck repairing shops, call centres for government activities to remain open from April 20.
14. Grocery stores, fruit, vegetables shops or carts, milk booths, poultry, meat and fish shops to remain open during lockdown.
15. Services provided by self-employed electricians, IT repairs, plumbers, motor mechanics, carpenters to be allowed from April 20.
16. Exemptions given from April 20 will not be applicable in COVID-19 hotspots or containment zones.
17. MNREGA works are allowed with strict implementation of social distancing and use of face masks.
18. Bank branches and ATMs, IT vendors for banking operations, banking correspondents, ATM operation and cash management agencies will remain functional.
19. All agricultural and horticultural activities shall remain fully functional, such as farming operations by farmers and farm workers in field, agencies engaged in procurement of agriculture products, including MSP operations.
20. List of all hospitals and medical facilities dealing with COVID-19 shall be put up at all workplaces.
In a televised broadcast yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the nationwide lockdown will be extended till May 3, 2020, in the wake of escalating positive coronavirus cases. The ongoing lockdown that started on March 25 was supposed to end yesterday i.e. April 14, 2020.
So far the country has lost 370 people at the altar of COVID-19 and the number of positive cases have risen to 11,000. The lockdown is aimed at containing the rapid spread of this fatal virus.