Unlock 4.0: Metros To Resume, Schools, Colleges To Remain Shut

Metro services suspended since March 22, will be operational from September 7 according to latest guidelines issued by the Centre on Saturday.

Dubbed Unlock 4.0 the Ministry of Home Affairs issued fresh guidelines allowing social, religious, cultural and other miscellaneous gatherings from September 21 subject to 100 people.

The MHA guidelines will not be applicable to containment zones.

The guidelines to be in place till September 30, outline the next phase of a nationwide 'unlock' in a country limping back to normalcy during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The relaxations come five months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed a nationwide lockdown in March due to the Coronavirus outbreak.

Schools and colleges will continue to remain shut. However, some restrictions have been eased for industrial training institutes (ITIs), and national skills institutes. Further, the guidelines ensure that the lockdown is focused only on containment areas now.

This easing comes at a time when India has touched a recent record high of more than 77,000 cases in a day, and is currently over 34 lakh cases and the death toll has crossed 62,500, as per latest data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

BOOM rounds up what the new guidelines state.

Metros

Metro services will resume operations from September 7 in a graded manner. The reopening will be done in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures to be issued by the Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MOHUA).

Gatherings

Gatherings related to political, religious, cultural, social, entertainment, academic or sports will be permitted, capped at 100 persons from September 21. Wearing of masks, hand sanitisation and social distancing is to be mandatory.

However, a cap of 50 persons on weddings, and 20 persons on funerals will continue to apply till September 20, following which the new cap of 100 will kick in.

Education

School and colleges are to remain shut for regular instruction till at least September 30.

Alongside encouraging online instruction, which has been done in previous guidelines too; the following specifics have been shared:

1. States/UTs may permit 50% of teaching or non-teaching staff to come to schools/colleges for online teaching or tele-counselling from September 21 onward. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) will issue guidelines for the same.
2. Students of classes 9 to 12 may visit schools solely to take guidance from teachers from September 21 onward.This will be subject to the written consent of their parents.
   
3. Skill development at ITIs, National Skill Training Institues and Skill Development Missions will be allowed. Some institutes may be permitted that are for PhD students only, or those requiring experimental or field work. The Department of Higher education will take a call on this keeping the circumstances in view.

Recreation

Cinema halls, swimming pools, entertainment parks and theatres will continue to remain shut. However, open air theaters will be permitted to operate from September 21 onwards.

Containment zones

None of the above relaxations will apply to containment zones. They are to be decided on the district level, with only essential activities to be allowed.

States and UTs cannot impose any lockdowns outside containment zones without prior consultation with the central government.

Further, there will be no restriction on movement of goods and people intra-state and inter-state.

The detailed order can be seen here.