Unlock 2.0: Ban on social, political gathering intact; night curfew 10pm to 5am
Metro services, cinema halls, swimming pools, bars and assembly halls will remain closed, even outside containment zones, as per Union Home Ministry’s Unlock-2 guidelines issued on Monday.
While schools and colleges will remain shut till July 31, social, political, sporting, entertainment, academic, religious and cultural gatherings and functions will continue to remain banned.
As per the new guidelines, the night curfew time is limited from 10pm to 5am. The night curfew is being relaxed for seamless operation of industrial units and movement in State and on National Highways as well as bus and train movements.
Shops, depending upon their areas, are permitted to take more than five persons at a time by keeping social distancing norms. All Government offices will start working full fledged from July 15. Training institutions of the Central and State Governments will be allowed to function with effect from July 15. SOP in this regard will be issued by the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India,” said the new guidelines.
International air travel of passengers has been permitted in a limited manner under the Vande Bharat mission and further opening up will take place in a calibrated manner, the guidelines said.
All activities, except the following, shall be permitted outside containment zones: Metro rail, cinema halls, gymnasiums, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars, auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places, social/ political/ sports/ entertainment/ academic/ cultural/ religious functions and other large congregations.
“Dates for opening of these will be decided separately, based on the assessment of the situation,” said the guidelines which are effective from July 1 to July 31.
Lockdown shall continue to be implemented strictly in the containment zones till July 31. The guidelines said the States and district administration will decide the area wise definition of containment zones and will be shared with the Union Health Ministry.
“States and UTs, based on their assessment of the situation, may prohibit certain activities outside the containment zones or impose such restrictions as deemed necessary. However, there shall be no restriction on inter-State and intra-State movement of persons and goods.
No separate permission/approval/e-permit will be required for such movements. National directives for Covid-19 management shall continue to be followed throughout the country, with a view to ensure social distancing. Shops will need to maintain adequate physical distancing among customers. The MHA will monitor the effective implementation of national directives.
The guidelines said “vulnerable persons, i.e., persons above 65 years of age, persons with co-morbidities, pregnant women, and children below the age of 10 years, are advised to stay at home, except for meeting essential requirements and for health purposes.”
