Face cover, Aarogya app mandatory -

Face cover, Aarogya app mandatory -

 The Times Of India  18.05.2020

Electronic & Print Media, & IT Services Can Operate In Red Zones

E-commerce firms can start delivering non-essential items in orange and green zones but not in red zones, which will rule out several cities. The revised guidelines have a relatively small negative list though officials explained that this is subject to change, keeping in view how the coronavirus infection progresses.

 As of now, several cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai are battling the outbreak.

A limited number of activities remain prohibited throughout the country, irrespective of zones. These include travel by air, rail, Metro and inter-state movement by road, running of educational institutions and coaching centres, hospitality services, including hotels and restaurants, places of large public gatherings like cinema halls, malls, gymnasiums, sports complexes as well as social, religious, political, cultural and other gatherings.

Movement by air, rail and road has been allowed for select purposes. In a major relief for states that have been slammed by excise losses, there is no prohibition on the sale of liquor and tobacco products. The “national directives on Covid-19 management” have been relaxed to allow liquor shops to open with a minimum 6-foot distance between people and no more than five people present at one time. The consumption of liquor, paan, gutka or tobacco in public places will, however, continue to be banned.

As per the norms, wearing a face cover will be compulsory and use of the Aarogya Setu app is mandatory for both public and private sector employees.

In red zones, service providers, including domestic helps and drivers, can travel to households for work between 7am and 7pm though not to and from containment zones. Barber shops, spas and salons will remain closed in red zones, though they can operate in green and orange zones.

Industrial establishments like SEZs and EOUs, manufacturing of essential goods and IT hardware can resume in urban areas of red zones. All industrial activities may resume in rural areas. Only in-situ construction will be permitted in urban areas falling in red zones (outside containment zones) but all construction activities in rural areas. Markets and marketplaces will remain shut in urban areas of red zones though standalone/neighbourhood shops and shops in residential complexes can function. In rural areas, only malls will remain closed.

Even in red zones, print and electronic media, IT and IT-enabled services, data and call centres, cold storage and warehousing services, private security and facility management services and services provided by self-employed people, except barbers, can operate. In orange zones, besides all activities allowed in red zones, taxis and cab aggregators with a driver and two passengers can ply.

No inter-district or intradistrict plying of buses is permitted, However inter-district movement of individuals and vehicles will be allowed for only permitted activities. In green zones, all activities apart from those prohibited across all zones are allowed. Buses can ply here at 50% capacity and bus depots will operate at 50%