On Monday evening, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) came out with a fresh set of guidelines to be put into effect for Unlock 2.0. The new guidelines would be effective from tomorrow i.e July 1st onwards. And while large gatherings, educational institutions, metro services, gyms, and theaters continue to stay closed, the government has come with a set of relaxations in order to further aid the country’s economy.
Meanwhile, the lockdown would still be observed in containment zones. As stated in the MHA orders, “Containment zones will be demarcated by the district authorities after taking into consideration the guidelines of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) with the objective of effectively breaking the chain of transmission.”
Additionally, people over and under the ages of 65 and 10 respectively have been asked to stay at home until necessary. Here’s everything else that you need to know about Unlock 2.0.
What Has Changed?
As the country gears up to further boost its economy, here’s what is going to change under Unlock 2.0:
- Except for essential services and activities, the night curfew timings have been eased and the curfew would now be observed from 10 pm to 5 am.
- The operations of domestic flights as well as railways which are already allowed, would be further expanded in a calibrated manner. Additionally, international flights under the Vande Bharat mission would also be operated.
- Shops can now have more than five costumers inside provided that there is adequate space and they follow the social distancing rules.
- All bans on inter as well as intra-state movement of vehicles have been lifted.
- Training institutes of both Central and State governments have been allowed to resume functions from July 15.
What Doesn’t Change?
“Lockdown shall continue to be implemented strictly in the containment zones till July 31,” reads the MHA order. However, besides that, there are still certain lockdown restrictions that continue to be observed everywhere in the country. Here’s what would not be changing under Unlock 2.0:
- Coaching classes and educational institutes to remain shut till July 31.
- Social/sports/entertainment/political/religious functions and gathering are still not allowed and any preaching here would invite strict penalisation.
- Metro rail services, film theatres, parks, gyms, swimming pools, bars, and auditoriums will remain shut.
In addition to the Unlock 2.0 guidelines, the MHA has also given the states and UTs power to define their own lockdown rules and to add to the ones established by the government if need be.
With the total number of case count already past 5.5 lakhs, India stands at a very delicate stage in regards to its COVID-19 spread. Ever since the first phase of unlock, the coronavirus cases in the country are rising at an alarming rate. Therefore, it is important for us to understand that relaxation in lockdown rules doesn’t mean that the virus has disappeared. It is still present, now more than ever and in this case, prevention certainly is the best cure. Stay safe!
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