Lockdown extended till May 31
Lockdown extended till May 31, but most curbs lifted, states will decide on transport and zones
Under the new guidelines, “the zones can be a district, or a municipal corporation/ municipality or even smaller administrative units such as sub-divisions, etc, as decided by states and UTs,” an MHA statement said.'
As the third phase of the nationwide lockdown ended on Sunday, the Centre announced an extension till May 31, but listed considerable relaxations in non-containment zones that are set to further open up the economy. While all markets, offices, industries and businesses will be allowed to open, inter-state and intra-state movement of “passenger vehicles and buses” will be permitted with the consent of the states involved.
Significantly, in its guidelines for Phase IV of the lockdown beginning Monday, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the “delineation of red, green and orange zones will be decided by the state and UT governments after taking into consideration the parameters shared by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.”
The district authorities have been told to demarcate “containment” and “buffer” areas within red and orange zones as per the Health Ministry’s guidelines
While the Centre was taking these decisions till now, many state governments had objected to an entire district being listed as a red or orange zone or an entire municipal area being demarcated as a hotspot. They had said this restricted their elbow room to kickstart the economy, especially in entirely urban areas like Delhi.
Under the new guidelines, “the zones can be a district, or a municipal corporation/ municipality or even smaller administrative units such as sub-divisions, etc, as decided by states and UTs,” an MHA statement said.
The decision to allow inter-state travel – including buses – will greatly ease public transportation, providing relief to migrant labourers on the roads.
The restrictions on air travel (domestic and international) and Metro rail services will continue, and schools, colleges and other educational institutes will remain closed. All social, political and religious functions and gatherings will still be barred, and places of worship will remain shut.
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