The government on Monday announced the second phase of unlock in India by releasing a fresh set of guidelines which will come into force between July 1, 2020 and last till July 31, 2020.
The Unlock 2.0 guidelines issued by the home ministry under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 for the next one month have further relaxed the night curfew timings. The new guidelines are based on the feedback received from states, and consultations with central ministries and departments.
The fresh guidelines said schools, colleges and coaching institutions will remain closed till July 31. It added that Metro rail, cinema halls, gymnasiums, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars, auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places will also remain shut.
Social, political, sports, entertainment, academic, cultural, religious functions and other large congregations will also continue to be banned. Dates for opening of these will be decided separately, based on an assessment of the situation.
The Union government relaxed the night curfew that prohibited non-essential travel. The ban on such movement will be between 10 PM and 5 AM. Previously, it was between 9 PM and 5 AM.
Relaxations in night curfew have been given for seamless operation of industrial units in multiple shifts, movement of persons and goods on National and State Highways, loading and unloading of cargo and movement of persons to their destinations after disembarking from buses, trains and airplanes. But states, based on their assessment of the situation, will have the final call on the activities outside the containment zones.
Domestic and international flights (under the Vande Bharat exercise) and passenger trains, already operational in a limited manner, will be further expanded in a calibrated manner. Shops, depending upon their area, can have more than five people at a time. However, they have to maintain adequate physical distancing.
Apart from this, based on their assessments, the state governments can come up with their own guidelines banning certain activities. While the government allowed the office spaces to operate with limited staff, it also urged the employers to ensure that Aarogya Setu is installed by all the employees.
The government has said that the plan to unlock the country has an “economic focus”, as it looks to bring stalled businesses and activities back on track. Till July 31, only essential activities will be allowed in containment zones, of which national capital Delhi has more than 470.