On Wednesday, July 29, the Government released guidelines regarding UNLOCK 3.0 to be followed in the containment and non-containment zones, which will come into effect from August 1, 2020. With some relaxations given in the non-containment zones, the containment zones are to remain in Lockdown with all the earlier mentioned restrictions till August 31.
The UNLOCK 3.0 is an extension to the process of the phased reopening of activities. The guidelines issued by the Government are based on feedback received from State and Union territories and several talks held with the concerned Central Ministries and Departments.
While the UNLOCK 3.0 Guidelines have given a Green flag to Gyms and Yoga institutes, the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for them is yet to be issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) for ensuring social distancing among people and limiting the spread of Covid-19. The Guidelines also have a special mention of Independence Day celebrations allowed with following the health protocols which were already issued by the MHA on July 21.
WHAT IS ALLOWED OUTSIDE CONTAINMENT ZONE
- Restrictions on night curfew removed which was earlier reduced from 9 pm-7 am to 10 pm-5 am in Unlock 2.0
- Gyms, yoga institutes are allowed to be opened from August 5
- Under the Vande Bharat Mission, International Air Travel is permitted in a limited manner
- Independence Day celebrations at National, State, District, Sub-Division, Municipal, Panchayat levels and At home functions allowed with social distancing and following other safety guidelines.
All other activities banned earlier except the ones mentioned above are to remain prohibited.
WHAT IS NOT ALLOWED OUTSIDE CONTAINMENT ZONE
- Metro Rails
- Cinema Halls
- Swimming Pools
- Entertainment Parks
- Theatres
- Bars
- Auditoriums
- Assembly Halls
- And similar places remain shutdown
- Restrictions on international air travel and rail travel as before
- Schools and Colleges to remain shut till August 31
- Any type of Social/ Political/ Religious/ Cultural/ Academic/ Sports/ Entertainment functions and any large congregations are prohibited.
GUIDELINES IN THE CONTAINMENT ZONE
- Lockdown till August 31 and all the restrictions imposed earlier are to be followed.
- The containment zones need to be precisely demarcated by the State and UT authorities to contain the spread of Covid-19 by taking the guidelines issued by MOHFW into consideration.
- Strict perimeter control shall be maintained
- Only essential activities are allowed
- Activities in the Containment zones shall be monitored strictly by the state and UT authorities
SOME OTHER GUIDELINES
- National directives for Covid-19 management shall continue to be followed throughout the country, which includes wearing of masks when going outside home or in public places and maintaining social distancing among others.
- Vulnerable People, i.e. people above 65 years of age, children below ten years of age, people with comorbidities, pregnant women are advised to stay at home, and these people are advised to step out only for essential activities or medical purposes.
- The Government has encouraged the use of Aarogya setu mobile app among public
- States can decide on activities outside containment zones and may impose more restrictions if required.
- No permission/e-permit/approval required on the intra-state and inter-state movement of person or goods, such movements are not restricted by the Government.
- Work from home is to be encouraged at workplaces, and all other necessary safety precautions should be taken like thermal screening of individuals, limiting the number of employees at the office.
As the number of cases is eradicating gradually day by day, the public should strictly follow the guidelines issued by the Government and also ask people around them to do the same. This would ensure the safety of every individual altogether, and we would win this fight against coronavirus as a team.
