Unlock mode: States roll out custom plans with caution in mind

The Centre had on May 30 said ‘Unlock-1’ will be initiated in the country from June 8 under which the lockdown will be relaxed to a great extent, including opening of shopping malls, restaurants and religious places, even as strict restrictions will remain in place till June 30 in the country’s worst-hit areas.

While announcing the extension of the lockdown in containment zones, the Union home ministry said all religious places and shopping malls will be allowed to open in a phased manner from June 8, while a decision on opening of schools and colleges will be taken in July in consultation with the states.

However, cinema halls, gymnasiums, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars, auditoriums and similar places will continue to remain shut. The government also eased the night curfew, which shall now remain in force from 9 PM to 5 AM. Earlier, the timing was from 7 PM to 7 AM.

Here’s a glimpse at what all you can expect to open and resume services during this lockdown phase.

(This is a developing story and will be updated after the other states announce their respective guidelines. All relaxations are from June 1, unless otherwise mentioned)

CHHATTISGARH

• The Chhattisgarh government has said interstate travel without requisite permission
  from authorities will continue to remain prohibited.
• The state government had already allowed opening of all non-prohibited shops and establishments six days a week from 7 am to 7 pm across the state, except those located in shopping malls and containment zones.

DELHI

• The Delhi government has allowed barber shops and salons to reopen, but spas will remain closed.
• No restrictions on the number of persons travelling in four wheelers, two wheelers, auto-rickshaws, e-rickshaws and other vehicles in the city.
• All shops in the city will be permitted to function. There will be no restrictions on the basis of ‘odd-even’ for opening of shops in markets.
• There will also be no restrictions on the functioning of industries in the national capital.
• Hotels and hospitality services except those meant for government services will remain closed. Restaurants will be permitted only for home delivery and takeaway facilities. Dinning table facility remains prohibited.

GUJARAT

• Shops and businesses outside the containment zones can operate from 8 am to 7 pm, and till 8 pm in areas outside municipality limits. The odd-even formula has been lifted.
• State transport buses allowed to operate with 60% passenger capacity, two-wheelers allowed to have a pillion rider, and four-wheelers with six or more seats to have three passengers along with the driver.
• Banks in both containment and non-containment zones will be allowed to open and government offices have been allowed to operate with full capacity.
• Only essential services allowed in ‘micro-containment areas’ between 7 am and 7 pm, and nobody living in these areas will be allowed to leave for work. The list of micro-containment areas will be announced soon.
• Liquor shops have been allowed to open for permit holders, while restaurants, gyms, malls, religious places, hotels and clubs will be allowed to operate from June 8 as per their SOP with limitations in seating arrangements and gatherings.
• Tea and coffee shops have also been allowed to open. Sports complexes and stadia will also be allowed to open. Street vendors will be allowed to operate only in areas designated by the urban local bodies starting June 8.

KARNATAKA

• The Karnataka government has lifted restrictions on interstate and intrastate movement of people and goods. No separate permission will be required for such movements.
• In the first phase, places of worship for public, hotels, restaurants and other hospitality services and shopping malls will be allowed to function from June 8.
• In the second phase, a decision to open schools, colleges, educational, training, coaching institutions will be taken in July after consulting with the stakeholders.

KERALA

• The Kerala government has extended the lockdown in containment zones till June 30.
• Indoor shooting of films to be allowed with a maximum participation of 50 people and following strict health precautionary measures, while for television shoots only up to
  25 people would be allowed. No outdoor shooting to be allowed.
• Those coming from outside the state will have to register with the government’s ‘COVID Jagratha portal’ and travel after taking pass.
• The containment zones will remain under a curfew-like situation and people will be allowed only for attending funeral of close relatives. They should approach police station for passes.
• For train journey, passengers coming with return tickets from other states, need not undergo quarantine.
• The government also decided to allow conduct of marriages at the Lord Krishna temple at Guruvayoor, but with limited participation of not more than 50 people. In other temples in the state, permission had been given earlier itself for conducting weddings.
• Inter-district bus service can be allowed in a limited manner connecting neighbouring districts. No standing passengers would be allowed. All passengers would have to wear masks and sanitisers should be provided in the bus.
• Besides the driver, three passengers can travel in a four-wheeler, and in autorickshaws, only two passengers would be allowed.
• Schools will not open until July end.

MAHARASHTRA

• The Maharashtra government has extended till June 30 the lockdown in the entire state, and announced easing of restrictions and phase-wise resumption of activities under the ‘Mission Begin Again’.
• All markets, market areas and shops, except malls, will be allowed to function from June 5 on odd-even basis.
• All private offices can operate with up to 10% their employee strength as per the requirement from June 8 with others working from home.
• Outdoor physical activities like morning walks, cycling will be allowed.
• Self-employed persons like plumbers, electricians, pest control staff and technicians will be allowed to work, but they will have to follow social distancing norms. Garages can also function and customers can visit with prior appointment.

(These activities will be permitted in the red zones, but not in COVID-19 containment zones)

MIZORAM

The Mizoram government will extend the lockdown for another two weeks, state health minister R Lalthangliana had said.

RAJASTHAN

• There would be no restriction on interstate and intrastate movement of people and goods, and no separate pass, permission, approval or permit would be required for that.
• Interstate and intrastate operation of buses has also been allowed but they would ply only on permitted routes and outside containment zones. City buses, however, were yet not allowed to ply.
• Government offices will start functioning with full capacity from June 1. Private offices too have been allowed to operate with up to full strength, but they may encourage “work from home” practice to the extent possible.
• All religious places, hotels, restaurants, hospitality services and eating places, except the already permitted home delivery and take-away services, shall remain closed for public.
• Only essential activities will be allowed in containment areas where cases have been detected in recent past.
• All shops, already opened, will continue to operate while ensuring strict implementation of the lockdown and anti-corona provisions, like observing social distancing and wearing face masks.

TAMIL NADU

• The Tamil Nadu government has extended of the ongoing lockdown till June 30.
• Curbs on places of worship, all kinds of religious gatherings, inter-state bus transport and Metro and suburban train services will continue.
• Public transport will resume with reduced buses from June 1, except in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpet. Only 50% of the fleets of buses will be operated that too with a passenger cap of 60% of the seated capacity. Taxis can ply with three passengers and autorickshaws with two only.
• In areas under the jurisdiction of Greater Chennai Police, IT and IT Services firms can employ up to 20% staff while the cap for private companies was 50 per cent. In other areas, 100% workforce has been allowed.
• Showrooms and jewellery outlets, barring malls, can operate with 50 per cent staff while not more than five clients can be allowed at any point of time. Air conditioners cannot be used.
• Hotels and restaurants can start dine-in services from June 8 in line with the Centre’s guidelines, as against takeaways so far, but only 50 per cent of the seats should be occupied. So would be the case with tea shops.
• Eateries, shops selling groceries and vegetables can function from 6 am to 8 pm while liquor outlets operated by the state-run TASMAC will remain open from 10 am to 8 pm. E-commerce firms can supply non-essential commodities.

TELANGANA

• The Telangana government has extended the lockdown in containment zones till June 30.
• Certain restrictions currently in force in non-containment Zones would, however, remain extended till June 7.
• Shops would be allowed to remain open only till 8 pm. No shops, except hospitals and pharmacies, will remain open after that.
• There would be no restrictions on inter-state movement of people and separate permission would not be required for it.
• In containment zones, provisions of lockdown order, which are currently in force shall stand extended till June 30.
• On May 27, several relaxations were allowed, as per which shops in Hyderabad, except malls, were allowed to open from May 28. State-run Road Transport Corporation buses were exempted from night time curfew restrictions. Taxis, autos and other passenger vehicles were also allowed to run services.

UTTAR PRADESH

• The Uttar Pradesh government has allowed interstate travel, but it’s up to the Ghaziabad and Noida administrations to take a call on the movement of people from New Delhi. There is no need for a separate approval or an e-permit for this.
• However, there will be a ban on the movement of people from the containment areas in Delhi to the NCR areas of Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad.
• Religious places, shopping malls, hotels and restaurants, and barber shops will open from June 8. Sanitiser has to be kept at the entrance to a barber shop for customers.
• All government offices will open with 100% staff. But to prevent crowding, there will be three shifts from 9 am to 5 pm, 10 am to 6 pm and 11 am to 7 pm. Sanitisation and social distancing have to be ensured at the offices.
• Supermarkets can also open, but they too have to adhere to norms followed by the shops. In urban areas, no weekly markets will be allowed, while in rural areas, these can be allowed but with social distancing.
• Marriage venues can open, but prior permission has to be sought, and not more than 30 persons are permitted to attend a marriage function.
• Sweet shops can open, but customers cannot sit there and consume the sweets. Street vendors can resume their business, but they will have to use face masks, gloves and sanitisers. They can operate at open places only.
• Roadways buses are allowed to operate within the state on the condition that they will not take passengers beyond their seating capacity. Parks will open from 5 am to 8 am and from 5 pm to 8 pm.
• Sports complexes and stadia have been given permission to open. However, spectators are not allowed.

WEST BENGAL

• The West Bengal government has extended the lockdown up to June 15.
• Indoor and outdoor activities related to TV and cinema production, barring those for reality shows, including for web-portal and OTT platforms, with not more than 35 persons per unit at a time to be allowed from June 1.
• Religious places can open from June 1 but only a maximum of 10 people can be allowed inside. No congregation to be allowed.
• Hotels, restaurants and shopping malls can resume function from June 8.
• State government offices allowed to function with 70% workforce from June 8. The private sector has been allowed to take a call on its own.
• Busses, which till now were allowed to ply with only 20 passengers, will now be allowed to run with full seat occupancy.
• All the tea gardens and jute mills in the state can function at full strength.