MHA Guidelines Lockdown: The current phase of re-opening will have an economic focus, centre said.
No separate permission, approval or e-permit will be required for inter-state or intra-state movement of people and goods, the centre said on Saturday as it announced guidelines for Lockdown5. If a state or Union Territory decides to regulate movement, it will have to publicise its decision in advance.
The centre today extended the coronavirus lockdown till June 30, but said that malls and restaurants can reopen from June 8 except in containment zones, or areas sealed because of a large number of virus cases. It also made several other announcements to ease lockdown restrictions.
"There shall be no restriction on inter-state and intra-state movement of persons and goods. No Separate permission/approval/e-permit will be required for such movements," the centre said in a statement.
"However, if a state/union territory, based on reasons of public health and its assessment of the situation, proposes to regulate movement of persons, it will give wide publicity in advance regarding the restrictions to be placed on such movements, and the related procedures to be followed," it added.
This is the fourth extension of the lockdown since March. This phase, however, focusses on starting economic activities stalled because of the pandemic. "The current phase of re-opening, Unlock1, will have an economic focus," said the guidelines.
Religious places, hotels and restaurants will also be allowed from June 8, the home ministry has said, adding the new guidelines had been issued based on extensive consultations held with States and Union Territories.
"Movement by passenger trains and Shramik special trains; domestic passenger air travel; movement of Indian Nationals stranded outside the country and of specified persons to travel abroad; evacuation of foreign nationals; and sign-on and sign of Indian seafarers will continue to be regulated as per SOPs issued," it said.
India today reported the biggest single-day jump in the number of new coronavirus patients and those who died due to the highly infectious illness with 7,964 fresh cases and 265 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, which brings the total to 1,73,763 cases.