Reopening guidelines to be in force till Nov. 30

Reopening guidelines to be in force till Nov. 30

Lockdown to be implemented strictly in containment zones

28/10/2020

Screening time: Residents waiting for rapid antigen tests in north Delhi on Tuesday.Sushil Kumar Verma

Special CorrespondentNew Delhi

The Home Ministry on Tuesday said the “guidelines for reopening” post-lockdown issued last month, permitting cinemas, entertainment parks and swimming pools for sportspersons to open, would continue to be applicable till November 30 in areas outside the containment zones.

The guidelines issued on September 30 were to be in force till October 31.

The lockdown shall continue to be implemented strictly in the containment zones during the period, the Ministry’s order said.

Appropriate behaviour

The Ministry said it had advised the Chief Secretaries of the States and the administrators of Union Territories that they “should endeavour to promote COVID-19-appropriate behaviour extensively at the grassroots level and take measures to enforce the wearing of masks, hand hygiene and social distancing”.

The guidelines said that international travel, except those permitted by the Centre, would remain shut while the State governments were given the flexibility to decide on reopening of schools and coaching institutions in a graded manner.

The activities permitted in areas outside the containment zones were — cinemas, theatres and multiplexes with up to 50% of their seating capacity, Business to Business (B2B) exhibitions, swimming pools used for training of sportspersons, entertainment parks and similar places.

The Ministry said that where schools were conducting online classes, and some students preferred to attend online classes rather than physically attend school, they may be permitted to do so. Students may attend schools and institutions only with the written consent of parents.

Attendance must not be enforced, and must depend entirely on parental consent, it said.

The Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education may take a decision on the timing of the opening of colleges and higher education institutions, in consultation with the Ministry.

The Ministry reiterated that the States would not impose any local lockdown outside the containment zones without consulting the Centre. There would be no restriction on inter-State and intra-State movement.