Ministry of Home Affairs on Friday issued an order under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 in a bid to further extend the lockdown for a period of two weeks beyond 4 May, 2020 in a bid to combat the novel coronavirus outbreak in the country.
MHA has also announced new guidelines for regulating different activities in this period based on risk profiling of the districts of the country into Red (hotspot), Green and Orange zones.
The home ministry stated, “A large number of other activities are allowed in the Red Zones. All industrial and construction activities in rural areas, including MNREGA works, food-processing units and brick-kilns are permitted.”
Moreover, the guidelines have allowed considerable relaxations to the Orange and Green zones, MHA said in a statement.
In Orange Zones, inter-district movement of individuals and vehicles will be permitted for allowed activities only. Four-wheelers will have a maximum of 2 passengers besides the driver and pillion riding will be allowed on two-wheelers, stated MHA.
The latest guidelines gave clarity on the restrictions. “These include travel by air, rail, metro and inter-State movement by road, running of schools, colleges, and other educational and training and coaching institutions; hospitality services, including hotels and restaurants; places of large public gatherings, such as cinema halls, malls, gymnasiums, sports complexes, social, political, cultural and other kinds of gatherings; and, religious places and places of worship for public,” the home ministry stated.
Besides, in Orange Zones, along with the activities permitted in Red Zone, taxis and cab aggregators will be allowed with one driver and two passengers.
The MHA also said that a limited number of activities will remain under prohibition across India, irrespective of the zone such as travel by air, rail, metro and inter-State movement by road as well as running of schools, colleges, other educational and training/coaching centres.
