The Indian Express : May 19, 2020, 08:31 PM
Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Tuesday retained most of the lockdown curbs it had imposed in the previous phase, including ban on taxis and hair salons in red zones. The revised guidelines for lockdown 4.0 will be applicable post May 22. Areas outside municipal corporation in Mumbai and Pune have been excluded from the red zone.There are also restrictions on private vehicles — both four and two wheelers — in red and orange zones. Only those stepping out on essential work are allowed in red zones. In orange, taxis and rickshaws are allowed with limits on number of passengers. Similar restrictions are also imposed on private vehicles — maximum of two passengers and drive for cars and no pillion rider for two-wheelers.Private offices are not allowed to reopen in red zones and only 5 per cent staff is allowed in government offices. The restrictions don’t apply in orange zones. The government has also advised companies “on best effort basis” to ensure that Aarogya Setu app is installed by all employees having compatible mobile phones. It also said district authorities may advise individuals to install the contact tracing app and regularly update their health status.While the revised guidelines don’t allow malls and shops selling non-essentials to open in red zones, e-commerce activity for essential and non-essential items is allowed. Banking, courier and postal services are allowed to function in both zones. Barber shops, spas and saloons are not permitted to reopen in red zones while relaxation has been given for orange zones. Restaurants will not be allowed to function, but they can only offer home delivery. Shops and industries that are not covered under the guidelines will be given permission to open between 9 am and 5 pm for the purposes of upkeep and maintenance.As of May 19, Maharashtra has over 35,000 Covid-19 positive cases and close to 1,300 deaths.