Unlock 4.0: Find out what is allowed, what is prohibited

Guwahati: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has officially issued the new guidelines for the opening up of more areas outside of the containment zones in its bid to revive the sputtering economy that is yet to recover after the extended lockdown across the country.

The Unlock 4, which will come into effect from September 1, and shall see a phased re-opening of more sectors, has brought some new relaxations, while at the same time emphasizing that the containment areas must be kept sealed till the 30th of September.

Announcing the guidelines, the Centre said they have been framed on the basis of "feedback received from States and UTs, and extensive consultations held with related Central Ministries and Departments."

As per the new guidelines, the metro rail will be allowed to operate from September 7. In this regard, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) shall be announced by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MOHUA).

In another relaxation, the Centre shall now allow social/academic/sports/entertainment/cultural/religious/political functions and other congregations with a ceiling of 100 persons. This will be allowed from September 21 onwards.

"However, such limited gatherings can be held with the mandatory wearing of face masks, social distancing, provision for thermal scanning and hand wash or sanitizer," the notification said.

Open-air theatres will be permitted to open with effect from September 21.

The MHA has also announced that schools and colleges shall remain closed till September 30.

Meanwhile, the cinema halls, swimming pools, entertainment parks theatres, (excluding open-air theatres) and similar places shall remain closed until further notice.

International air travel shall only be allowed in instances permitted by the MHA.

Additionally, it has been notified that State/ UT Governments shall not impose any local lockdown (State/ District/ sub-division/City/ village level), outside the containment zones, without prior consultation with the Central Government.

The MHA further announced that there shall be no restriction on inter-state and intra-state movement of persons and goods and 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. MHA will monitor the effective implementation of National Directives," the notification further added, urging people to download the Arogya Setu app for safety purposes.

Also Watch: #NewsMakers: Re-Opening Education Institutes Issues & Challenges