New Unlock Guidelines: What Will Remain Open, Closed In Mumbai

Maharashtra announced new set of “unlock” guidelines for the state as it recovers gradually from the devastation caused by the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The guidelines, the state government said, are divided into five levels which will come into effect from June 7. The levels are based on two criteria:

• Positivity rate.
• Percentage of oxygen beds occupancy.

Depending on these two parameters, each district disaster management authority has been asked to decide which level of restrictions will be imposed in their jurisdiction. The levels are:

• Level one: Positivity rate less than 5% and oxygen bed occupancy less than a fourth.
• Level two: Positivity rate less than 5% and oxygen bed occupancy is between 25% and 40%.
• Level three: Positivity rate is between 5% and 10% or oxygen bed occupancy is more than 40%.
• Level four: Positivity rate is between 10% and 20% or oxygen bed occupancy is more than 60%.
• Level five: Positivity rate is more than 20% or oxygen bed occupancy is more than 75%.

Mumbai has been categorised under level 3, Iqbal Singh Chahal, commissioner of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, told BloombergQuint. Accordingly, the following restrictions will be in place in India’s financial capital, which reported 973 new Covid-19 infections and 24 deaths on June 4.

• Minimise public movement after 5 p.m. on all days of the week.
• Essential services like shops and establishments to remain open till 4 p.m. on all days.
• Non-essential services shops and establishments to remain open till 4 p.m. on weekdays.
• Malls, theatres (multiplexes and single screen), and “Natyagriha” or auditoriums, will remain closed.
• Restaurants to open at 50% capacity for dining in till 4 p.m. on weekdays. Parcel/takeaway services and home deliveries allowed afterwards.
• Medical, few sections of essential workers allowed to commute on suburban trains.
• Public places like open grounds for walking or cycling will remain open between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. everyday.
• All private offices can remain open on working days till 4 p.m., except exempted category.
• Office attendance for government and private offices (if allowed) is 50%.
• Outdoor sports allowed from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m.
• Shooting allowed under bubble, no outside movement post 5 p.m.
• All kinds of gatherings (social, cultural, entertainment) are allowed at 50% capacity and till 4 p.m. on weekdays.
• Marriages allowed with 50 people and funerals with 20 people.
• Meetings, elections, general body meetings of local as well as cooperative bodies allowed with 50% capacity.
• Construction allowed only for on-site laborers or labourers must leave by 4 p.m.
• Agricultural activities allowed till 4 p.m. on all days.
• Regular movement of e-commerce activities as well as services.
• Gyms, salons, beauty centres, spas, wellness centers to remain open till 4 p.m. at 50% capacity with only appointment and no air-conditioning.
• Public transport buses to operate at 100% capacity without standing.
• Movement of cargo will be regular.
• Inter-district travel for passengers by private cars, taxis, buses, long distance trains will be regular. Except if moving or passing through any stoppage in level 5, wherein passenger e-pass is a must.
• Manufacturing: Export-oriented units, including MSMEs, that need to fulfil export obligation, essential goods, continuous process industries, manufacturing of items that re significant to national security and defense, data centres, cloud service provider etc will have no restrictions.
• For all other manufacturing units which aren’t covered under essential, continuous process or export oriented units will operate at 50% staff-movement with transport bubble.