Unlock 4: MHA extends lockdown in containment zones upto Sep 30; metros to resume by Sep 7

As India's COVID-19 cases soar, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), on Saturday, extended the current lockdown limited to containment zones till 30 September. The MHA released the detailed guidelines under 'Unlock 4' allowing resumption of Metro Rail services, social gatherings upto 100 people with social distancing, open-air theatres. Schools, colleges and other institutions, cinema halls, swimming pools, theatres, and similar places will remain shut. Centre has also directed states to not impose any local lockdown outside containment zones without MHA approval and to allow free movement of people and goods throughout the nation.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates: India's tally at 34,63,973; WB wants to resume train services

Unlock 4 guidelines

As per MHA guidelines, metro services will resume from September 7, Social/ academic/ sports/ entertainment/ cultural/ religious/ political congregations limited to 100 people and open-air theatres will be allowed to open will be allowed from 21 September. While educational institutions will remain shut, MHA has permitted certain activities. Here are the exemptions:

• States to allow 50% of teaching & non-teaching staff in schools
• Students of Classes 9-12 can visit on voluntary basis, subject to written consent of parent/guardian
• Skill training will be allowed in National Skill Training Institutes, Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), Short term training centres registered with National Skill Development Corporation or State Skill Development Missions or state/central govts.
• Higher education institutions have been allowed to reopen for research scholars (Ph.D.) and post-graduate students of technical and professional programmes requiring laboratory/ experimental works

Karnataka relaxes inter-state movement; revokes quarantine, isolation, testing travellers

Current lockdown restrictions

Under Unlock 3, the restrictions of the movement of people during the night have been removed altogether. Yoga institutes and gymnasiums shall be allowed to open from August 5 as per the SOP issued by the Ministry of Health. Apart from these, international air travel remains restricted only in 'bubbles', while domestic travel has been restricted to 1/3rd capacity of the approved summer schedule 2020. Inter-state and intra-state travel of people and goods has been freed following quarantine guidelines of various states. India has  33,87,497 infections, of which 7,42,023 cases are active 25,83,945 recoveries with 61,529 fatalities.

The Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla has asked all states to ensure that there are no restrictions on inter-state and intra-state movement of persons and goods during the ongoing unlock phases. He said the restrictions imposed by the states and districts amount to a violation of guidelines issued by the MHA under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. In compliance with that Karnataka has relaxed inter & intra-state travel, but Maharashtra has stated not allowed free movement of people. oreover, West Bengal and Jharkhand have extended their respective lockdowns till September, with Bengal have bi-weekly total lockdown and Punjab imposing a nightly curfew from 7PM to 5 AM.

Centre extends lockdown in containment zones till July 31; Unlock 2 guidelines issued

Previous Lockdowns

The Centre had first imposed a complete lockdown on March 25 for three weeks till April 15. It was then extended till April 30. On May 1, when the lockdown was re-imposed till May 15, the MHA eased restrictions flagging off Shramik trains and announcing an Aatma Nibhar Bharat package, to revive the economy. With more extensions, MHA then allowed the delineation of red, green and orange zones as per state and UT governments, taking the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) into consideration - with most states then coming up with their own guidelines- kicking off the 'unlock' stages.

DGCA may put passengers refusing to wear masks on no-fly list; beverages & food allowed