Coronavirus Lockdown 4.0: Now states, UTs to decide Green, Orange, Red Zones

The government has allowed States and Union Territories (UTs) to decide whether they fall in Red, Green and Orange Zones after taking into consideration the parameters shared by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW).

The new guidelines has also permitted inter-state movement of passenger vehicles and buses, provided the consent of respective states/UTs involved.

Within the Red and Orange Zones, Containment Zones and Buffer Zones will be demarcated by the District authorities, after taking into consideration the MoHFW guidelines.

In the containment zones, only essential activities shall be allowed and there shall be strict perimeter control to ensure that there is no movement of people in or out of these zones, except for medical emergencies and the supply of essential goods and services.

There will also be intensive contact tracing in containment zones with house-to-house surveillance and other clinical interventions.

However, States and UTs, based on the situation, may prohibit certain other activities in the various zones, or impose restrictions when required.

The activities that remain prohibited till May 31 are domestic and international air travel, metro rail services, educational institutions, hotels and restaurants among other hospitality services except for those being used as quarantine facilities.

Restaurants would be allowed to operate kitchens for home delivery of food items.

In addition, all shopping malls, cinema halls, gym, swimming pools, entertainment parks, bars, and other public gathering places will remain closed.

Sports complexes and stadiums have been allowed to reopen with no spectators permitted to enter these venues. Places of worship are to remain closed for the public.

All social, political, entertainment, academic, cultural, sports and religious functions/gatherings also stand prohibited.

Meanwhile, India recorded 3,970 new COVID-19 cases and 103 deaths in one day, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 90,927, according to the Union Health Ministry. The country has also surpassed the virus tally of China where the coronavirus pandemic originally started in December 2019.

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