Travel,
operation of educational institutions, hospitality services, social events, and
religious congregations suspended
Port Blair, Apr 15
The Prime Minister, in his address to the
Nation on April 14, 2020, declared that the lockdown in India will have to be
extended till May 3, 2020, with a view to arrest the spread of COVID-19 in the
country.
The Prime Minister also declared that select
necessary activities will be allowed to be opened up from April 20, 2020, in
identified areas of the country.
In pursuance of the announcements of the
Prime Minister, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an order dated April
14, 2020, extending the lockdown in India till May 3, 2020. Further, MHA
issued another Order, dated April 15, 2020, to allow select additional
activities in areas not demarcated as containment zones by States/ UTs/
District Administrations.
Along with the Order dated April 15, 2020,
consolidated revised guidelines have been issued, delineating the prohibited
activities across the country, activities allowed in containment zones, and
select permitted activities allowed from April 20, 2020 in the rest of the
country.
The objective of the revised guidelines is
to consolidate the gains achieved during the 1st phase of lockdown and further
slowdown the spread of COVID-19 and at the same time provide relief to farmers
and labour and daily wage earners.
- ·
The activities prohibited
across the country include travel by air, rail and road; operation of
educational and training institutions; industrial and commercial activities;
hospitality services; all cinema halls, shopping complexes, theatres, etc.; all
social, political and other events; and opening of all religious places/ places
of worship for members of public, including religious congregations.
- ·
There are certain national
guidelines like mandatory homemade face covers at work places and in public
places, strong hygiene and health care measures like provision of sanitizers,
staggered shifts, access control, thermal screening and imposing fines for
spitting etc. penalties will be imposed for violation.
- ·
The activities permitted
under the revised guidelines, from April 20, 2020 will not be allowed within
the containment zones as demarcated by States/ UTs/ District Administrations as
per the guidelines of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
(MoHF&W). In these zones, no unchecked inward/ outward movement of
population would be allowed, except for maintaining essential services, i.e.,
medical emergencies and law & order duties, and government business
continuity.
- ·
Very strong containment
measures will be implemented in the hotspot districts accounting for large
number of COVID-19 cases or with fast growth of cases. Detailed guidelines on
delineation of containment zones and containment measures have also been
issued. Only essential services are to be permitted in these zones and strict
perimeter control and strict restrictions on movement enforced. These hotspots
are under 3 km perimeter from residence of confirmed case and are being enforced
in Atlanta Point, Mohanpura Masjid area and Biggi Line area. Moreover, the
District Administration of South Andaman has notified 7 km perimeter from
residence of confirmed case which would also remain under strict surveillance.
This will more or less include PBMC area and nearby peripheral areas of Port
Blair.
- ·
The permitted activities
from April 20, 2020 are aimed at ensuring that agricultural and related
activities remain fully functional; the rural economy functions with maximum
efficiency; employment opportunities are created for daily wage earners and
other members of the labour force; select industrial activities are allowed to
resume their operations, with adequate safeguards and mandatory standard
operating protocols (SOPs); and the digital economy. At the same time,
keeping the imperative of containing the spread of COVID-19 in the country,
National Directives for COVID-19 management have been laid down, which shall be
enforced by the District Magistrates through fines and penal action as
prescribed in the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
- ·
Transportation of goods
will be permitted without any distinction of essential or non-essential.
- ·
Farming operations,
including procurement of agricultural products, agriculture marketing direct
and decentralized marketing, manufacture, distribution and retail of
fertilizers, pesticides and seeds; activities of marine and inland fisheries;
animal husbandry activities, including the supply chain of milk, milk products,
poultry and live-stock farming are allowed to be functional.
- ·
To provide an impetus to
the rural economy, industries operating in rural areas, including food
processing industries; construction of roads, irrigation projects, buildings
and industrial projects in rural areas; works under MNREGA, with priority to
irrigation and water conservation works; and operation of rural Common Service
Centres (CSCs) have all been allowed. These activities will create job
opportunities for rural labor, including the migrant labor force.
- ·
Manufacturing and other
industrial establishments with access control have been permitted industrial
estates after implementation of SOP for social distancing. Manufacture of
essential goods and packaging are also allowed. It is expected that the
industrial and manufacturing sectors will see a revival with these measures,
and will create job opportunities while maintaining safety protocols and social
distancing. At the same time, the important components of the financial
sector, e.g., RBI, banks, ATMs, insurance companies will also remain functional,
with a view to provide enough liquidity and credit support to the industrial
sectors.
- ·
Digital economy is critical
to the services sector and is important. Accordingly, e-commerce
operations, distance learning through Doordarshan, All India Radio and cable TV
are all permitted activities now.
- ·
The revised guidelines also
permit all health services and the social sector to remain functional; public
utilities to function without any hindrance; the supply chain of essential
goods to operate without any hindrance.
- ·
The guidelines provide that
the UT Administration may impose stricter measures than the guidelines as per
requirement of the local areas from time to time.
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