Unlock 4: Metro services to resume from September 7
NEW DELHI : Announcing the guidelines for Unlock 4.0 on Saturday, Metro train services can resume in a phased manner from September 7 and lock downs can’t be imposed outside containment zones, the central government said on Saturday as it announced new steps to ease COVID-19 restrictions as part of the fourth phase of unlocking.
Social and other functions will be allowed with a limit of 100 people, read an order from Home Ministry which issued guidelines for ‘Unlock 4’.The fourth phase of opening of the economy after coronavirus lockdown, will start from September 1 and will be in effect till September 30.
“In Unlock 4, which will come into effect from September 1, 2020, the process of phased re-opening of activities has been extended further,” the Centre said in a statement today.
“The new guidelines, issued today, are based on feedback received from States and UTs, and extensive consultations held with related Central Ministries and Departments,” the Centre said in a statement.This phase comes at a time when India’s Covid-19 tally has crossed the 3.46 million mark and the number of deaths due to the disease have gone up to 62,550.
Social, political, academic, sports, religious and other functions will be allowed with a limit of 100 people as part of the new rules from September 21. Schools, colleges, swimming pools and indoor theatres will remain closed. This phase, called “Unlock 4”, will be in effect till September 30.
Sports, entertainment, religious, political functions, among other congregations, will be permitted with a ceiling of 100 people, with effect from September 21, said the government. However, the Centre noted that strict enforcement of lockdown in containment zones will continue till September 30.
Schools, colleges, educational and coaching institutions will continue to remain shut for students and regular class activity up to September 30. Online/distance learning will continue to be permitted and shall be encouraged, said the government. Open air theaters will be allowed to open with effect from September 21.
Cinema halls, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theaters (excluding open air theater) and similar places will continue to remain shut. International air travel is also not allowed.
Students of classes 9 to 12, said the Centre, may be permitted to visit their schools, in areas outside the Containment Zones only, on voluntary basis, for taking guidance from their teachers. This will be subject to written consent of their parents, the government added.
Confirming that it will restart services, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said, “As per the latest guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs under Unlock 4, the Delhi Metro will be resuming its services for public from 7th September 2020 onward in a calibrated manner.
However, all activities will be allowed outside containment zones which were earlier permitted by the authorities in the earlier guidelines such as shopping malls, barber shops etc.
Furthermore, schools, colleges, Educational and coaching institutions to remain closed; states and UTs may permit 50% of teaching staff to come to schools for online teaching from September 21.
Moreover, higher education institutions only for research scholars (Ph.D.) and post-graduate students of technical and professional programmes requiring laboratory/ experimental works will be allowed in the new guidelines. “These will be permitted by the Department of Higher Education (ME) in consultation with MHA, based on the assessment of the situation, and keeping in view incidence of COVID-19 in the States/ UTs,” MHA said in a statement.
There shall be no restriction on inter-state and intra-state movement of persons and goods. No separate permission or approval, e-permit will be required for such movements, the guidelines further stated.
However, State or UT governments shall not impose any local lockdown (State/ District/ sub-division/City/ village level), outside the containment zones, without prior consultation with the Central Government, the government said in a statement.
India went under a complete nationwide lock down from 25 March in order to curb the spread of the novel corona virus in the country. In an attempt to bring back normalcy, the MHA has been issuing a number of guidelines in its ‘Unlock India’ mission in order to provide relaxations in a graded manner and kick start the economy.
