Unlock 2.0 guidelines: What is allowed, what's not

The central government on Tuesday announced that lockdown in containment zones will continue till July 31 as it issued new guidelines for Unlock 2 to open up of more activities in areas outside these zones. As per the new guidelines issued by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), metro services, international air travel, schools, colleges, educational institutions and coaching centres, cinemas, gyms, theatres, bars, and auditoriums will remain closed till the end of July. The guidelines will remain in effect from July 1 till July 31, 2020.

Under Unlock 1, certain activities, i.e., religious places and places of worship for public; hotels, restaurants and other hospitality services; shopping malls; domestic flights and passenger trains in limited manner; have already been permitted from June 8, 2020 outside the containment zones. In Unlock 2, the process of phased re-opening of activities has been extended further.

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Here's a lowdown of what will remain operational and what will be closed based on the containment zone you are in:

CLOSED:

As per the MHA order the following activities will remain prohibited for all the zones till July 31:

1. International air travel will remain prohibited, except as permitted by home ministry.
2. Metro rail services will also remain shut.
3. Schools, colleges, educational/ training/ coaching institutions etc. will remain closed. Online/ distance learning shall continue to be permitted and shall be encouraged.
4. All   cinema halls, gymnasiums, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars and auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places will remain closed.
5. All social/ political/ sports/ entertainment/ academic/ cultural/ religious functions/ other gatherings and large congregations remain prohibited.

OPENED

The following additional activities will be permitted with restrictions, except in the Containment Zones:

1. Domestic flights and passenger trains have already been allowed in a limited manner. Their operations will be further expanded in a calibrated manner.
2. Night curfew timings are being further relaxed and curfew shall be in force from 10.00 pm to 5.00 am. Further, 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.
3. Shops depending upon their area, can have more than 5 persons at a time. However, they have to maintain adequate physical distance.
4. Training institutions of the central and state governments will be allowed to function with effect from July 15, 2020.  SOP in this regard will be issued by the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India.
5. International air travel of passengers has been permitted in a limited manner under the Vande Bharat mission.  Further opening up will take place in a calibrated manner.

Also Read: Maharashtra extends coronavirus lockdown till July 31