Malls, hotels, restaurants and places of worship can open on June 8 except in areas with the most number of coronavirus cases, the government said today, extending the nationwide lockdown till June 30 with a phased plan to unlock India.
Phase 1 of the ministry’s rule book has given the go ahead for religious places of worship, hotels, restaurants and hospitality services and yes, shopping malls. But you will have to wait for a detailed operating plan, to be released by the ministry or the state departments, for a clearer picture. That is included in phase 2 of the rule book. States and UTs have been asked to come up with a strategy at institution level with parents and other stake holders. If all goes well, we could see children back in schools by July. Again, this would need a detailed operating plan. Dates for restarting Metro, movie halls, gyms and bars will be decided in the third phase. This phase will also take a call on sports, entertainment functions and all such events. Night curfew will remain in force from 9 pm to 5 am across the country, a change from 7 am to 7 pm in lockdown 4. People linked to essential services are allowed to move at night.However, lockdown shall continue to be implemented strictly in the containment zones.
All these services will be allowed to resume after a discussion of the state governments with the Centre. However, the dates of the discussions are not out yet.Vulnerable people, i.e. those above 65 years of age, those with co-morbidities, pregnant women, and children below the age of 10 years, have been advised to stay at home, except for meeting essential requirements and for health purposes.
Movement of passenger trains and Shramik special trains, domestic air travel and movement of Indian nationals stranded outside the country will be allowed unrestricted. Also, evacuation of foreign nationals, and sign-on and sign-off of Indian seafarers will continue to be regulated as per the SOPs.
The Centre has asked employers to ensure that Aarogya Setu, the government’s contact-tracing app, is installed by all employees. District authorities have also been advised to install the app and regularly update their health status. “This will facilitate timely provision of medical attention to those individuals who are at risk.”
Chief Minister of Maharashtra uddhav thackeray
Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday indicated that Maharashtra, especially hotspots like Mumbai and Pune, would continue to remain under lockdown—albeit with a few further relaxations—once Version 4.0 ends this Sunday. He said the next 15 days— when “everyone needs to be careful”— would be crucial in the fight against Covid-19.
Surjitt sahani
