COVID-19 lockdown relaxation: What is prohibited from April 20 and what is open

New Delhi, Apr 20: To "mitigate the hardship" of the citizens during the lockdown period, the government has issued revised guidelines for the relaxations listing certain economic activities and services that will be exempted from the purview of the 19-day lockdown from April 20.

The ministry's guidelines further stated that the services will remain functional only in areas that are non-containment zones.

It also said that all states, Union territories and district administrations will make proper arrangements before allowing selective activities such as social distancing at workplaces, offices, factories and other establishments.

Meanwhile, as the coronavirus numbers continues to spike, several states on Sunday declared that they will not be relaxing the lockdown after April 20.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that his government will not relax the lockdown for at least a week as the coronavirus spread "appears to have gained pace".

The Punjab government also on Sunday ruled out any relaxation in the curfew till May 3 barring the wheat procurement.

On the other hand, Telangana extended the lockdown till May 7 with Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao saying that the state will now impose a "stricter" lockdown.

Here's a lowdown on what remains prohibited and what will be allowed from April 20

What is prohibited

• Public transport including buses, passenger train, metro, domestic and international air travel for passengers
• Inter-district and inter-state movement of individuals except for medical reasons or for activities permitted under these guidelines.
• All educational, training, coaching institutions to remain closed.
• All industrial and commercial activities other than those specifically permitted under these guidelines.
• Taxis, auto rickshaws and cycle rickshaws and services of cab aggregators.
• All cinema halls, malls, shopping complexes, gymnasiums, sports complexes, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars and auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places.
• All social, political, sports, entertainment, academic, cultural, religious functions and other gatherings.
• All places of worship to remain closed for public. Religious congregations are strictly prohibited.
• In case of funerals, congregation of more than twenty persons will not be permitted.

What is allowed after April 20

Health services

• Chemists, pharmacies, veterinary hospitals to remain open.
• Movement of all medical personnel, paramedic staff, ambulances.
• Manufacturing units of drugs, medical equipment.

Public utilities

• Oil and gas,
• Power, postal telecommunications and internet services.

Financial Sector

• Bank branches and ATMs, IT vendors for banking operations
• Reserve Bank of India (RBI), RBI regulated financial markets and entities
• SEBI and capital debt market services
• IRDAI and insurance companies

Social sector
Care homes, pension services, door step delivery of food items by Anganwadi workers.

Online teaching
Use of Doordarshan and other educational channels.

Agriculture activity

Farming, MSP operations, notified Mandis. Supply chain of agriculture machinery, fertilisers, pesticides, seeds. Fisheries, plantations, animal husbandry.

Transportation of goods

• Movement, loading, unloading of goods and cargo, both inter and intra state.
• Dhabas on highways and truck repair shops.

Industrial and construction activities

MNREGA works, with social distancing and face masks.
Specified industries (SEZs, manufacturing units of essential goods, food processing).
Construction activities in rural areas.
Manufacturing units of essential goods including medicines
Food processing units
Manufacturing of IT hardware
Coal and mineral production and mines
Jute industries
Oil and gas refineries
Brick kilns in rural areas

Personnel

All central ministries and departments and their subordinate offices will start functioning with 100 per cent attendance of officials in the rank of Deputy Secretary and above, while 33 per cent of the rest of the staff are to be present in the offices.

Ministries like Defence, Health and Family Welfare, and government arms like Food Corporation of India, the various central paramilitary forces will start functioning with full strength

Nehru Yuva Kendra, National Cadet Corps, Customs and the various disaster management and early warning agencies like India Meteorological Department, National Centre for Seismology and others will remain open

State departments like police, home guard, fire department, prisons, municipal bodies, civil defence, will also resume.

Staff engaged in maintaining zoos, nurseries, wildlife management in forests, watering plantation, fire-fighting in forests, patrolling and their necessary transport movement are to be resumed.