Maharashtra to Gujarat & Tamil Nadu — here’s what states with high Covid counts are allowing

As states take charge of the lockdown 4.0 in their regions, here is a list of what is being allowed and what remains restricted.

Medics attending to a suspected Covid-19 patient at a government hospital during the ongoing nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus, in New Delhi | Kamal Kishore | PTI

New Delhi: While most of India is tucked in for the remainder of the lockdown, which was extended for a third time till 31 May, states have been coming out with their guidelines for their citizens.

While announcing the extension, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had left it up to states to decide the modalities of the fourth phase of the lockdown as the country works towards easing out of the restrictions and reopening the economy.

The Centre has also left it states to decide on which areas fall under the red/orange/green zones, depending on the number of Covid-19 cases, and the activities allowed there.

Some of the relaxations being allowed are public transport such as buses and autos functioning, and shops and restaurants reopening.

Metro services, though, are still suspended, but air travel is expected to resume in a staggered manner from 25 May.

ThePrint gives you a quick reckoner of the restrictions in states with high infection numbers.

Delhi

Allowed

The Arvind Kejriwal government has allowed private offices to open, but said companies should have as many employees as possible working from home. Markets have also been allowed to open, but shops can only function according to an odd-even system.

The system includes shops being designated as either ‘1’ or ‘2’. All shops that are ‘1’ open on odd days while shops that are ‘2’ open on even days.

Industrial firms have also been divided into two groups and allotted different operational hours. Companies registered with names starting with the letter A up till L can function between 7:30 am and 5:30 pm while those with names starting with the letters M to Z can operate from 8:30 am to 6:30 pm.

Taxis and cab aggregators such as Uber and Ola have been allowed to resume operations. Each car, though, can have no more than two passengers. Buses will also ply, but with no more than 20 passengers. All passengers will be screened before they board the bus.

According to the Delhi government, all liquor shops will also be open, except for those located inside malls and airports, from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm.

Restaurants are also being allowed to function, but only to cater to home deliveries and not seat customers.

Not allowed

The Delhi Metro will remain suspended.

Barber shops, salons and spas will remain shut for now in the national capital. Hotels, malls, movie theatres, gyms, swimming pools, auditoriums and assembly halls will also stay shut.

Tamil Nadu

The E.K. Palaniswami government allowed certain relaxations across the state, barring 12 of the 37 districts, including Chennai, Kancheepuram, Thiruvallur, Chengalpattu and Cuddalore.

Allowed

Industries outside Greater Chennai have been asked to limit the number of workers on premises at any given time to 100.

Public and private transportation can ply without an e-pass in the 25 districts not barred by the AIADMK government. These include Coimbatore, Salem, Trichy, Nilgiris and Ramanathapuram. However, for inter-district travel, an e-pass is recommended.

Buses will operate for government services or private industries with a limit of 20 passengers. In a minivan, no more than seven passengers will allowed. In SUVs, three people can travel while smaller cars will seat just two.

Stand alone shops and courier services can resume functioning in all zones except containment zones.

Barber shops and salons can only function in rural areas in green and orange zones, while agricultural activities and domestic workers will be allowed to go back to work.

Sale of liquor is allowed at shops falling in orange and green zones but not in red and containment zones.

Not allowed

Travel between 7 pm and 7 am remains restricted across the state, barring medical emergencies.

Further, schools, colleges, movie halls, gyms, religious places and sports stadiums will stay shut.

Public transport has not been allowed in the 12 districts which remain under strict lockdown. However, permission has been given to taxis and auto rickshaws to run for medical purposes, provided they have a travel pass.

Maharashtra

The Uddhav Thackeray-led government re-mapped its municipal corporations and districts into ‘red zones’ and ‘non-red zones’ on the basis of two factors — death toll and doubling rate of cases across a seven-day period. The doubling rate is the amount of time the current total number of cases doubles.

Municipal corporations in Mumbai Metropolitan Region, including Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Pune, Solapur, Aurangabad, Malegaon, Nashik, Dhule, Jalgaon, Akola and Amravati, have been marked as red zones.

The relaxations of the latest lockdown will be effective post 22 May.

Allowed

E-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart will be allowed to deliver both essential and non-essential items in all zones, including red zones.

Industrial units and construction sites have also been permitted to function in all zones.

Use of private vehicles, both two- and four-wheelers, has been restricted to essential work in red zones. In other zones, a two-wheeler can be used but without a pillion rider while only two passengers are being allowed in four-wheelers.

Taxis and rickshaws can ply with only two passengers apart from the driver in non-containment zones.

Liquor shops can open, if district administrations grant permission, but home delivery of alcohol is being allowed.

Not allowed

All the private offices will remain shut in the state. Malls and markets selling non-essential items also been ordered to stay closed.

Beauty salons and parlours in the red zones cannot function either, but can be opened up for business in other zones.

West Bengal

Mamata Banerjee’s government is perhaps the only one to not impose a night curfew, but urged citizens to stay indoors after 7 pm.

The state has also divided containment zones into three categories: affected zones, buffer zones and clean zones.

Allowed

From 21 May, all private offices are being allowed to open in non-containment zones. Private offices can open with a working capacity of 50 per cent staff, including those inside malls.

Autorickshaws can start plying from 27 May, but with a passenger limit of two. Starting 21 May, inter-district bus services are being resumed and sports events can be held but without any spectators.

Hawkers, beauty salons and parlour are also being allowed to reopen in non-containment zones from 27 May.

According to a senior government official, standalone shops in non-containment zones will also be allowed to function.

The state had earlier, on 6 May, allowed home delivery of alcohol, and launched a website through which people over 21 years of age can place orders.

Not allowed

Restaurants will remain closed.

Punjab

Punjab is following the 7 pm to 7 am curfew but has allowed more businesses to open. However, senior citizens, children below 10 years of age and pregnant women have been instructed to stay indoors.

Allowed

The government, led by Amarinder Singh, has allowed shops and small businesses to operate between 7 am to 6 pm in non-containment zones in the state. These remain shut in containment zones.

Public transport has been plying since 20 May, however seating in buses has been limited to one passenger for every two seats. Four-wheelers such as taxis, autos and two-wheelers are also back on roads. However, this is not allowed for containment zones.

Bank, courier services and e-commerce delivery is being allowed for all items while government and private offices have reopened.

Unlike Delhi, beauty salons and parlours are also being allowed, but strict social distancing rules have to be followed. Sports complexes and stadiums across the state are being reopened, but with no audience. This limits its use to training purposes.

Like the West Bengal government, Punjab also allowed home delivery of alcohol, but capped the amount at two litres.

Not allowed

Similar to most states, gyms, hotels, restaurants, multiplexes, swimming pools and malls will remain shut here too. Schools, colleges and other education institutions are also not reopening just yet.

Gujarat

Vijay Rupani’s government has divided all the areas in the state into containment and non-containment zones.

Allowed

All business establishments and private offices in the non-containment zones have been allowed to function, however with only 33 per cent attendance.

Autorickshaws can ply with only two riders, but have been barred in Ahmedabad and Surat due to the high number of cases. Similarly, even state transport buses are running, but not within Ahmedabad. Cab aggregators can accept bookings of up to two passengers. They are however not allowed to ply in containment zones.

All shops will be open in non-containment zones from 8 am to 4 pm. According to the rules, markets and shops will be opened on an odd-even basis and no more than five people can be allowed inside.

Paan and cigarette shops, beauty salons, and garage and repair shops can begin operating.

Textile markets in Surat outside containment zones are permitted to function on an odd-even basis, while the diamond industry is allowed to open with 50 per cent staff.

Not allowed

People living in containment zones are not allowed to go to offices and public parks will stay shut.

Like the rest of the states, malls, gyms, swimming pools, religious places and educational institutions are also not going to open.