Lockdown 2.0 New Guidelines: What’s Open? What’s Banned?

The nationwide lockdown implemented to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus has been extended till May 3. And with that come new rules and guidelines that have to be followed by the public, offices, industries and other establishments. Here is an exhaustive list of the new guidelines that will apply during Lockdown 2.0

The government on Wednesday issued a fresh set of guidelines as India entered the second phase of a nationwide lockdown meant to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. The exhaustive guidelines detail whether citizens are allowed to move, what industries can function, what items can be sold, what measures are to be followed by workplaces remaining open during the lockdown phase, and more.

The new lockdown rules and regulations will apply until May 3. Some conditional relief may be seen in areas that are not hotspots for the novel coronavirus from April 20.

Here’s the full list of the fresh guidelines issued by the government on the novel coronavirus lockdown 2.0.

What activities are banned?

Following activities will continue to remain prohibited across the country until May 3, 2020

Domestic and international air travel of passengers, except for security purposes.
Passenger movement by bus, trains, air and ship except for security purposes.
All public transport.
Inter-district and inter-state movement of individuals except for medical reasons or for activities permitted under these guidelines.
All educational, training, coaching institutions etc. shall remain closed.
All industrial and commercial activities other than those specifically permitted under these guidelines.
Hospitality services are other than those specifically permitted under these guidelines.
Cinema halls, malls, shopping complexes, gymnasiums, sports complexes, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars and auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places.
All social/ political/ sports/ entertainment/ academic/ cultural/ religious functions/ other gatherings.
All religious places/ places of worship shall be closed for public.
Religious congregations are strictly prohibited.
Congregation of more than twenty persons will not be permitted at funerals

What activities are allowed from April 20, 2020

Health Sector

Hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, telemedicine facilities.
Dispensaries, chemists, pharmacies, all kinds of medicine shops including Jan Aushadhi
Kendras and medical equipment shops.
Medical laboratories and collection centres.
Pharmaceutical and medical research labs, institutions carrying out COVID 0-19 related research.
Veterinary Hospitals, dispensaries, clinics, pathology labs, sale and supply of vaccine and medicine.
Authorised private establishments, which support the provisioning of essential services, or efforts for containment of COVID-19, including home care providers, diagnostics, supply chain firms serving hospitals.
Manufacturing units of drugs, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, medical oxygen, their packaging material, raw material and intermediates.
Construction of medical/ health infrastructure including the manufacture of ambulances.
Movement (inter and intra-state, including by air) of all medical and veterinary personnel, scientists, nurses, para-medical staff, lab technicians, midwives and other hospital support services, including ambulances.

Farming, Fisheries, Plantation and Animal Husbandary with 50% of workers

Collection, processing, distribution and sale of milk and milk products by milk processing plants, including transport and supply chain.
Operation of animal husbandry farms including poultry farms & hatcheries and livestock farming activity.
Animal feed manufacturing and feed plants, including the supply of raw material, such as maize and soya.
Operation of animal shelter homes, including Gaushalas.

Public Utilities

Postal services, including post offices.
Operations of utilities in water, sanitation and waste management sectors, at municipal/ local body levels in States and UTs.
Cargo movement through rail, air and ship
Shops for truck repairs and Dhabas on highways, with a stipulated minimum distance as prescribed by the State/ UT authorities.
Police, home guards, civil defence, fire and emergency services, disaster management, prisons and municipal services will function without any restrictions.

Supply of Essential Goods

Kirana and single shops selling essential goods and carts
Ration shops under PDS dealing with food and groceries for daily use
Hygiene items
Fruits and vegetables
Dairy and milk booths
Poultry, meat and fish
Commercial and private establishments
Print and electronic media including broadcasting, DTH and cable services.
IT and IT-enabled Services, with up to 50 per cent strength.
Data and call centres for Government activities only.
Government-approved Common Service Centres (CSCs) at Gram Panchayat level.
E-commerce companies. Vehicles used by e-commerce operators will be allowed to ply with necessary permissions.
Courier services.
Hotels, homestays, lodges and motels, which are accommodating tourists and persons stranded due to lockdown, medical and emergency staff, air and sea crew.
Establishments used/ earmarked for quarantine facilities.
Services provided by self-employed persons, e.g., electrician, IT repairs, plumbers, motor mechanics, and carpenters.

Industries/ Industrial Establishments (both Government and private)

Industries operating in rural areas.
Manufacturing and other industrial establishments with access control in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and Export Oriented Units (EoU), industrial estates, and industrial townships.
Manufacturing units of essential goods, including drugs, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, their raw material and intermediates.
Food processing industries in rural areas
Production units, which require a continuous process, and their supply chain.
Manufacturing of IT hardware.
Manufacturing units of packaging material.
Jute industries with staggered shifts and social distancing.
Oil and gas exploration/ refinery.
Brick kilns in rural areas.
Construction of roads, irrigation projects, buildings and all kinds of industrial projects, including MSMEs

Government Offices

Offices of the Government of India, it’s Autonomous/ Subordinate Offices
Offices of the State/ Union Territory Governments, their Autonomous Bodies and Local Governments
All other Departments of State/ UT Governments to work with restricted staff.

Financial Sector

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and RBI regulated financial markets and entities
Bank branches and ATMs.
SEBI, and capital and debt market services.

Lockdown 2.0 Guidelines

Guidelines for public places

Wearing of face cover is compulsory in all public places, workplaces.
All persons in charge of public places, workplaces and transport shall ensure social distancing as per the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
No organization /manager of a public place shall allow gathering of 5 or more persons
Gatherings such as marriages and funerals shall remain regulated by the District Magistrate.
Spitting in public spaces shall be punishable with a fine.
There should be a strict ban on the sale of liquor, gutka, tobacco etc. and spitting should be strictly prohibited.

Guidelines for workplaces

All workplaces shall have adequate arrangements for temperature screening and provide sanitizers at convenient places.
Workplaces shall have a gap of one hour between shifts and will stagger the lunch breaks of staff, to ensure social distancing.
Persons above 65 years of age and persons with co-morbidities and parents of children below the age of 5 may be encouraged to work from home.
Use of Arogya Setu will be encouraged for all employees both private and public.
All organizations shall sanitize their workplaces between shifts.
Large meetings to be prohibited.

Guidelines for manufacturing establishments

Frequent cleaning of common surfaces and mandatory handwashing shall be mandated.
No overlap of shifts and staggered lunch with social distancing in canteens shall be ensured.
Intensive communication and training on good hygiene practices shall be taken up.

Persons to remain under mandatory quarantine

All such persons who have been directed by health care personnel to remain under strict home/ institutional quarantine for a period as decided by local Health Authorities.

Persons violating quarantine will be liable to legal action under Section 188 of the IPC, 1860.

Quarantined persons, who have arrived in India after 15.2.2020, after the expiry of their quarantine period and being tested COVID-19 negative, will be released following the protocol prescribed in the SOP issued by MHA.