Maharashtra's new lockdown guidelines divide state into red and non-red zones

The Maharashtra government on Monday issued its new guidelines for the present phase of lockdown, dividing the state into 'red' and 'non-red' zones and allowing e-commerce companies to deliver both essential and non essential items in all but the containment areas.

The red zones have been identified as the Mumbai Metropolitan regions comprising Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan Dombivli Municipal corporations. Pune, Solapur, Aurangabad, Malegaon, Nashik, Dhule, Jalgaon, Akola and Amravati.

The state government has taken the position that domestic and air travel of passengers will be as per the home ministry norms and would nbe allowed only for medical and security purposes.

Schools, colleges, educational, training, coaching institutions shall remain closed., while online learning and distance learning would be permitted. Hotels, restaurants and other hospitality services would be shut except those that are catering for the essential services personnel like the police and doctors. Restaurants have been permitted to operate kitchens for home delivery purposes.

Cinema halls, shopping malls, gymnasiums, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars will remain shut., said the revised set of guidelines which were released two days after the Centre laid down norms for the fourth phase of lockdown in the fight against Covid-19.

The state has barred ‘vulnerable people’ between the ages of children below 10 and those above 65 years of age from coming out in public except for medical services and for availing essential services.

There would be no relaxations in within containment zones as only essential services would be allowed. The state government has allowed non essential shops to remain open in red zones provided the respective municipal corporation allowed it.

Taxi and aggregator cabs are not allowed in red zones, however private vehicles have been allowed with restrictions. For instance two wheelers with only the rider and four wheelers with two besides the driver are allowed.