India's districts divided into Red, Orange and Green Zones; Here's what it means

Modi government has extended nationwide lockdown for second time by a furr two weeks after Ministry of Home Affairs did a comprehensive review of COVID-19 situation in India on Friday. 

In an order, MHA has laid down guidelines to be followed in different zones across country — Red, Orange and Green — depending on risk profiling of various districts. guidelines have permitted considerable relaxations in districts falling in Green and Orange Zones.  classification of districts into Zones will be shared by Health Ministry with States and Union Territories on a weekly basis, or earlier, as required. While States and UTs can include additional districts as Red and Orange Zones, y may t lower classification of a district included by Healthy Ministry in list of Red or Orange Zones.

re are 130 Red zones, 319 Green zones and 284 Orange zones across India.

Here, let's understand, what se zones mean.

What Green Zone means:

Green Zones will be districts with eir zero confirmed cases of COVID-19 till date or  confirmed case in last 21 days. In Green Zones, all activities are permitted except limited number of activities that are prohibited throughout country (see list below), irrespective of Zone. However, buses can operate with up to 50% seating capacity and bus depots can operate with up to 50% capacity.

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What Red Zone means:

classification of districts as Red Zones will take into account total number of active cases, doubling rate of confirmed cases, extent of testing and surveillance feedback from districts. As colour suggests, se are places where re are risk of transmission of COVID-19 among population is considerably high. Most of all metropolitan cities in India have fallen under Red Zone — Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

t allowed

Here, certain activities are prohibited in addition to those prohibited throughout country — plying of cycle rickshaws and auto-rickshaws; running of taxis and cab aggregators; intra-district and inter-district plying of buses; and, barbershops, spas and salons. Shops in urban areas, for n-essential goods, are t allowed in malls, markets and market complexes.

Allowed

On or hand, movement of individuals and vehicles is allowed only for permitted activities, with a maximum of 2 persons (besides driver) in four-wheeler vehicles, and with pillion rider in case of two-wheelers. All standalone (single) shops, neighbourhood (colony) shops and shops in residential complexes are permitted to remain open in urban areas, without any distinction of essential and n-essential. E-Commerce activities are permitted only in respect of essential goods. Private offices can operate with upto 33% strength as per requirement, with remaining persons working from home.

All industrial and construction activities in rural areas, including MNREGA works, food-processing units and brick-kilns are permitted; besides, in rural areas, without distinction to nature of goods, all shops, except in shopping malls are permitted.

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What Orange Zones mean:

Those districts, which are neir defined as Red r Green, shall be classified as Orange zones. Here, in addition to activities permitted in Red Zone, taxis and cab aggregators will be permitted with 1 driver and 1 passenger only. Inter-district movement of individuals and vehicles will be allowed for permitted activities only. Four wheeler vehicles will have a maximum of two passengers besides driver and pillion riding will be allowed on two-wheelers.

What Containment Zones mean:

most sensitive areas of country, from spread of Coronavirus point of view, and falling within Red and Orange Zones, are designated as Containment Zones. se are areas where re is significant risk of spread of infection. containment areas would be defined by respective District Administrations, taking into account total number of active cases, ir geographical spread, and need to have well demarcated perimeters from enforcement point of view.

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Prohibition on activities in following list will continue throughout India, irrespective of Zone:

• Travel by air, rail, metro and inter-State movement by road
• Running of schools, colleges, and or educational and training/coaching institutions
• Hospitality services, including hotels and restaurants
• Places of large public garings, such as cinema halls, malls, gymnasiums, sports complexes etc; social, political, cultural and or kinds of garings; religious places/ places of worship for public

In all zones, persons above 65 years of , persons with co-morbidities, pregnant women, and children below of 10 years, shall stay at home, except for meeting essential requirements and for health purposes. Out-Patient Departments (OPDs) and Medical clinics shall be permitted to operate in all Zones, with social distancing rms and or safety precautions; however, se will t be permitted within Containment Zones.

However, movement of persons by air, rail and road is allowed for select purposes, and for purposes as permitted by MHA.

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