Govt announces guidelines for ‘Unlock 2’ to be in force till July 31

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday issued guidelines for Covid-19 Unlock 2.0.

Expansion of domestic air travel in a calibrated manner, relaxation in night curfew and permitting more than five persons in shops depending on its area are among a few relaxations provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in Covid-19 Unlock 2.0 that starts from July 1.

Lockdown will continue to be implemented strictly in the Containment Zones till July 31, according to the new guidelines issued on Monday.

Educational institutions will continue to remain closed till July 31 though training institutions of the central and state governments will be allowed to function from July 15.

The guidelines issued for Unlock 2.0 also said that international air travel and Metro services will continue to remain suspended. Cinema halls, gymnasiums, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars, auditoriums and assembly halls will not be allowed to open during this period.

Political, academic, cultural, religious, sporting events and other large congregations also continue to be prohibited during Unlock 2.0.

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla wrote to Chief Secretaries of all states and UTs, urging them to ensure compliance of Unlock 2.0 guidelines and direct all concerned authorities for their strict implementation.

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However, dates for opening these will be decided separately based on the assessment of the situation.

The new guidelines are based on the feedback received from states and union territories and extensive consultations held with related central ministries and departments, an official statement said.

The authorities are looking at expanding the domestic air services in a "calibrated manner", it said. Night curfew timings have been further relaxed and the new timings will be between 10 pm and 5 am instead of 9 pm and 5 am at present.

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There will be relaxations on the number of customers allowed in a shop at a given time depending upon their area, the statement said. At present, only five people can be inside a shop.

In containment zones, which will be demarcated by district authorities by following guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, there will be strict lockdown aimed at effectively breaking the chain of Covid-19 transmission.

The guidelines also allowed the states to prohibit certain activities outside containment zones or impose such restrictions as deemed necessary. However, there will be no restriction on inter-state and intra-state movement of people and goods.

Persons above 65 years, persons with comorbidities, pregnant women and children below the age of 10 years are advised to stay at home, except for essential and health purposes.

More details to follow...