India will be under lockdown till May 17 but the third phase of the lockdown, which started on Monday, May 4, comes with some relaxations. The Ministry of Home Affairs issued detailed guidelines on the third phase on May 1. However, there has been a lot of confusion with states also making certain rules, as per the COVID-19 situation in their jurisdiction. Here’s all your FAQs about #Lockdown3.0, answered.
India has been divided into zones: Red, Orange and Green. A zone is designated based on the incidence of cases, doubling rate, extent of testing and surveillance feedback. If any of this is comparatively high, then it is a red zone. Green zones are those where no case has been reported till date, or there has been no new case in the past 21 days. Rest of the districts are called orange zones. India currently has 130 red zones, 284 orange zones and 319 green zones.
The Centre’s designation will prevail over the state’s, so if the Centre says your district is a red zone, all guidelines issued for the red zone will follow. However, the Centre has said that the list of red, orange and green zones is dynamic and may change if the situation changes.
— Air, rail, metro travel by people, only those approved by MHA will be allowed.
— Inter-state movement by road.
— Schools, colleges, and other educational, training and coaching institutions.
— Hospitality services, including hotels and restaurants.
— Places of large public gatherings like cinema halls, malls, gymnasiums, sports complexes.
— Social, political, cultural and other kinds of gatherings.
— Religious or public worship places .
— All essential services like grocers, medical stores, etc that have been open till now. You will also be able to withdraw money as ATMs and cashier and teller operations at banks will remain open.
— All medical, OPD services, except for those located in containment zones.
— All goods traffic will be permitted.
— Industrial establishments in urban areas, like Special Economic Zones (SEZs), Export Oriented Units (EOUs), industrial estates and industrial townships with access control, allowed in all zones, except containment areas.
However, there are some relaxations as per zones as well.
The containment areas that fall under the red zone will have the same restrictions that have been in place so far, without any relaxations.
However, outside these containment areas, even in the red zones, some relaxations have been listed. This includes the functioning of private establishments, industries with 33% workforce and government offices. The business that have been allowed to operate are:
— Special Economic Zones (SEZs), Industrial Estates and Export Oriented Undertakings with access control.
— Manufacturing plants of essential goods.
— Manufacturing of IT hardware.
— Jute industry units with staggered shifts and social distancing.
— Manufacturing units of packaging material.
— Construction activities can resume provided workers are available on site.
People can step out of their homes for non-essential activities in all zones, barring containment areas, but strictly between 7 am and 7 pm only. In all zones, persons above 65 years of age, those with underlying health conditions, pregnant women, and children below 10 years shall stay at home, except for essential and health purposes. Others can step out for essential needs and services.
Yes, but there are restrictions. Movement of individuals and vehicles is permitted with a maximum of 2 persons (besides the driver) in four-wheelers, and no pillion rider on two-wheelers.
Yes, but this is applicable only if you are living in and if your place of work is in an area outside of containment zones. The employees, however, will be allowed to travel to their workplace in vehicles arranged by the company. Special arrangements for travel can be made based on permission granted by the corporation authorities, if you are from an urban area.
No, movement of vehicles in all zones is prohibited between 7 pm and 7 am.
Yes, but only in Orange and Green Zones. Only two passengers other than the driver are allowed to travel in the cab.
In areas outside containment zones, all standalone (single) shops, neighborhood (colony) shops and shops in residential complexes that sell both essential and non-essential items are permitted to remain open in urban areas. Malls and Market complexes cannot open.
Manufacturing of essential goods like drugs, medical devices and their supply chain, manufacturing of IT hardware, jute industry, construction (if workers residing on site) will be open in red zones, except in containment zones. Operations of homes for senior citizens, children, destitute etc., government offices, and emergency, health, sanitation and security services will also be open.
If you are in the orange zone, and not inside a containment area, then you can hail a taxi cab but the service can operate only with one driver and two passengers. While inter and intra-district plying of buses is not allowed in the orange zone, individuals are allowed to travel outside districts only for permitted activities.
Except the activities banned nationwide, normal activities can resume if you live in a green zone. However, buses and bus depots can operate only with 50% capacity.
Not if your house is in a containment zone. However, since public transport cannot ply inside red and orange zones, the employer will have to make arrangements for their pick up and drop. This also depends on your society’s resident welfare organizations, who will take the final call on allowing in outsiders.
Not if you are living in a red zone. Only in green zones and orange. However, if you live inside a containment area within the orange zone, this service cannot be availed.
This is possible only if you are living outside containment areas. However, the electrician, plumber and technician will have to have necessary permits issued by the corporation to be able to offer their services.
E-commerce is allowed in red zones only for essential goods.
E-commerce companies have been allowed to deliver non-essential goods to those living in orange and green zones only.
The MHA guidelines say liquor stores can stay open in red, orange and green zones but physical distancing has to be maintained. Stores selling liquor, paan, gutka, tobacco etc have to ensure customers are standing minimum 6 feet away from each other. However, some states have not allowed the sale of liquor. Among the south states, Kerala, Telangana and Tamil Nadu have not allowed opening of liquor stores.