Mumbaikars will have to wait for a few more weeks before the suburban trains and Metro Rail resume their operations, a fact that became evident on Sunday as the Maharashtra government extended the lockdown till June 30 to facilitate the gradual easing of restrictions and phase-wise lifting of lockdown across the State.

Some of the salient features of the extended lockdown were: Night curfew will remain in force from 9 pm to 5 am till June 30, complete lockdown will continue in ‘containment zones’, except for essential services, ban will continue on international air travel and cinema halls, gymnasiums, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars and auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places will continue to remain closed.

“Persons above 65 years of age, persons with comorbidities, pregnant women and children below the age of 10 years are advised to stay home, except for essential and medical services,” one of the guidelines stated.

In what it called the order as “Mission Begins Again”, the Maharashtra government permitted easing of restrictions and phase -wise Opening in Municipal Corporations of MMR Region including MCGM, Municipal Corporations of Pune, Solapur, Aurangabad, Malegaon, Nashik, Dhule, Jalgaon, Akola, Amravati and Nagpur where activities will be additionally permitted with restrictions, in phases as described below except containment zones. This is in addition to the activities already allowed and permitted in these areas.

As part of the new guidelines, intra-district bus service will be allowed with maximum 50% capacity per bus with physical distancing and sanitation measures, while inter-district bus service orders will not be permitted. Orders will be separately issued in this regard.

“Beginning June 5, all markets/shops will be allowed to remain open from 9 am. to 5 p.m on a P1-P2 basis. If any crowding or failure of social distancing norms is seen, then authorities will immediately close down such shops/markets,” one of the guidelines stated. The State Government has authorised the Municipal-district authorities after taking into consideration the guidelines of Ministry of Home Affairs.

“The containment zone will be residential colony, mohall a, slum, building, group of buildings, lane, ward, police station area, villages, small cluster of villages etc. Anything larger than this (eg. whole taluka/ whole Municipal Corporation etc.) can be declared as containment zone only after consultation with Chief Secretary,” the guidelines stated. 

A blanket ban will continue on schools, colleges, educational, training, coaching institutions etc, international air travel of passengers, except as permitted by MHA,. Metro Rail, passenger movement by trains and domestic air travel unless specifically allowed through separate orders and standard operating procedure (SOP), social, political sports/ entertainment! Academic/ cultural! religious functions and large congregations, religious places/ places of worship for public, Barber Shops, Spas, Saloons, Beauty Parlours. and Shopping Malls, Hotels, Restaurants and other Hospitality Services.

In some of notable relaxations,  beginning June 3 the state government has permitted outdoor physical activities like individual physical exercises like cycling, jogging , running , walking shall be permitted on public open spaces including beaches, public and private playgrounds, grounds belonging to societies and institutions, gardens and promenades with some conditions. This will be allowed between 5 am to 7 pm

All Government departments - barring those in the emergency services - will be permitted to increase employees from the present 5 percent to 15 percent or 15 employees, whichever is higher.

Movement of people will be allowed in cabs, four-wheelers and autorickshaws with (1+2), but no pillion rider on two-wheelers.

In a major measure, the state government has permitted all private offices to operate with up to 10% strength as per requirement with sanitisation measures in place, with remaining persons working from home

The state government has permitted self-employed people like plumbers, electricians, pest-control and technicians to resume their work with social distancing norms and usage of masks and sanitization.

In some of other guidelines, the state government said: “ All Authorities shall allow inter-State and Intra-State movement of medical professionals, nurses and para medical staff, sanitation personnel and ambulances, without any restriction”.

However inter-state and inter-district movement of persons will continue to be regulated. The movement of stranded labour, migrant workers, pilgrim, tourists etc will continue to be regulated as per SOPs issued.

Similarly, movement of persons by shramik special trains and seafarers will continue to be regulated as per SOPs issued.

Movement of Indian nationals stranded outside the country and of specified persons to travel abroad; evacuation of foreign nationals; sign-on and sign-off of Indian seafarers will continue to be regulated as per SOPs issued.

The state government allowed allow Inter-State movement of all types of goods/ cargo, including empty trucks.  “No authorities shall stop the movement of any type of goods/cargo for cross land-border trade under Treaties with neighbouring countries,” one of the guideline stated.