EXTENSION OF LOCKDOWN FOR A FURTHER PERIOD OF TWO WEEKS WITH EFFECT FROM MAY 4, 2020.

After a comprehensive review, and in view of the Lockdown

measures having led to significant gains in the COVID-19 situation in the

country, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India (GoI)

issued an Order under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, today, to

further extend the Lockdown for a further period of two weeks beyond

May 4, 2020. MHA also issued new guidelines to regulate different

activities in this period, based on the risk profiling of the districts of the

country into Red (hotspot), Green and Orange Zones. The guidelines

have permitted considerable relaxations in the districts falling in the

Green and Orange Zones.

2. The criteria for identification of districts as Red, Green and

Orange Zones have been spelt out in detail in the letter dated April 30,

2020, issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), GoI.

The Green Zones will be districts with either zero confirmed cases till

date; or, no confirmed case in the last 21 days. The classification of

districts as Red Zones will take into account the total number of active

cases, doubling rate of confirmed cases, extent of testing and

surveillance feedback from the districts. Those districts, which are

neither defined as Red nor Green, shall be classified as Orange zones.

The classification of districts into Red, Green and Orange Zones will be

shared by MoHFW with the States and Union Territories (UTs) on a

weekly basis, or earlier, as required. While States and UTs can include

additional districts as Red and Orange Zones, they may not lower the

classification of a district included by MoHFW in the list of Red or

Orange Zones.

3. A number of districts of the country have, within their boundaries,

one or more Municipal Corporations (MCs). It has been observed that

due to higher population density within the MCs, and consequent greater

inter-mixing of people, the incidence of COVID-19 within the boundary of

the MC(s) is higher than in the rest of the district. In the new guidelines,

therefore, it has been provided that such districts will be classified into

two Zones, i.e., one Zone for the area under the boundary of the MC(s);

and, another for the area falling outside the boundary of the MC(s). If

the area outside the boundary of the MC(s) has reported no case for the

last 21 days, it will be allowed to be classified as one stage lower than

the overall classification of the district as either Red or Orange. Hence,

this area will be classified as Orange, in case the district is overall Red;

or as Green, in case the district is overall Orange. This classification will

enable more economic and other activities in that area of the district,

which is relatively less affected by the incidence of COVID-19, while also

ensuring that due caution continues to be exercised so that these areas

remain free from COVID-19 cases. This dispensation has been made

only in respect of districts having Municipal Corporation (s).

4. The most sensitive areas of the country, from the spread of

COVID-19 point of view, and falling within the Red and Orange Zones,

are designated as Containment Zones. These are areas where there is

significant risk of spread of the infection. The containment areas would

be defined by respective District Administrations, taking into account the

total number of active cases, their geographical spread, and the need to

have well demarcated perimeters from the enforcement point of view.

The local authority shall ensure 100% coverage of Aarogya Setu app

among the residents of the Containment Zone. Containment Zones

would have intensified surveillance protocols, with contact tracing, house

to house surveillance, home/ institutional quarantining of persons based

on their risk assessment, and clinical management. Strict perimeter

control would need to be ensured, so that there is no movement of

people in and out of these Zones, except for medical emergencies, and

for maintaining supply of essential goods and services. No other activity

is permitted within the Containment Zones.

5. Under the new guidelines, a limited number of activities will remain

prohibited throughout the country, irrespective of the Zone. These

include travel by air, rail, metro and inter-State movement by road;

running of schools, colleges, and other educational and training/

coaching institutions; hospitality services, including hotels and

restaurants; places of large public gatherings, such as cinema halls,

malls, gymnasiums, sports complexes etc; social, political, cultural and

other kinds of gatherings; and, religious places/ places of worship for

public. However, movement of persons by air, rail and road is allowed

for select purposes, and for purposes as permitted by MHA.

6. The new guidelines also prescribe certain measures for well being

and safety of persons. Hence, movement of individuals, for all non-

essential activities, shall remain strictly prohibited between 7 pm to 7 am.

Local authorities shall issue orders under appropriate provisions of law,

such as prohibitory orders [curfew] under Section 144 of CrPC, for this

purpose, and ensure strict compliance. In all zones, persons above 65

years of age, persons with co-morbidities, pregnant women, and children

below the age of 10 years, shall stay at home, except for meeting

essential requirements and for health purposes. Out-Patient

Departments (OPDs) and Medical clinics shall be permitted to operate in

Red, Orange and Green Zones, with social distancing norms and other 4

safety precautions; however, these will not be permitted within the

Containment Zones.

7. In the Red Zones, outside the Containment Zones, certain

activities are prohibited in addition to those prohibited throughout the

country. These are: plying of cycle rickshaws and auto rickshaws;

running of taxis and cab aggregators; intra-district and inter-district plying

of buses; and, barber shops, spas and saloons.

8. Certain other activities have been allowed in the Red Zones with

restrictions. Movement of individuals and vehicles is allowed only for

permitted activities, with a maximum of 2 persons (besides the driver) in

four-wheeler vehicles, and with no pillion rider in the case of two-

wheelers. Industrial establishments in urban areas, viz., Special

Economic Zones (SEZs), Export Oriented Units (EOUs), industrial

estates and industrial townships with access control have been

permitted. The other industrial activities permitted are manufacturing

units of essential goods, including drugs, pharmaceuticals, medical

devices, their raw material and intermediates; production units, which

require continuous process, and their supply chain; manufacturing of IT

hardware; jute industry with staggered shifts and social distancing; and,

manufacturing units of packaging material. Construction activities in

urban areas have been limited to in-situ construction (where workers are

available on site and no workers are required to be brought in from

outside) and construction of renewable energy projects. Shops in urban

areas, for non-essential goods, are not allowed in malls, markets and

market complexes. However, all standalone (single) shops,

neighborhood (colony) shops and shops in residential complexes are

permitted to remain open in urban areas, without any distinction of

essential and non-essential. E-Commerce activities, in the Red Zones, are permitted only in respect of essential goods. Private offices can

operate with upto 33% strength as per requirement, with the remaining

persons working from home. All Government offices shall function with

senior officers of the level of Deputy Secretary and above at full strength,

and the remaining staff attending upto 33% as per requirement.

However, Defense and Security services, Health and Family Welfare,

Police, Prisons, Home Guards, Civil Defence, Fire and Emergency

Services, Disaster management and related services, National

Informatics Centre (NIC), Customs, Food Corporation of India (FCI),

National Cadet Corps (NCC), Nehru Yuvak Kendra (NYK) and Municipal

services shall function without any restrictions; delivery of public services

shall be ensured and necessary staff will be deployed for such purpose.

9. 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; besides, in

rural areas, without distinction to the nature of goods, all shops, except

in shopping malls are permitted. All agriculture activities, e.g., sowing,

harvesting, procurement and marketing operations in the agricultural

supply chain are permitted. Animal husbandry activities are fully

permitted, including inland and marine fisheries. All plantation activities

are allowed, including their processing and marketing. All health

services (including AYUSH) are to remain functional, including transport

of medical personnel and patients through air ambulances. A large part

of the financial sector remains open, which includes banks, non-banking

finance companies (NBFCs), insurance and capital market activities, and

credit co-operative societies. Operation of homes for children, senior

citizens, destitutes, women and widows etc.; and operation of

Anganwadis has also been permitted. Public utilities, e.g., utilities inare permitted only in respect of essential goods. Private offices can