Coronavirus: MHA Eases Lockdown Norms

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday night, relaxed some of the lockdown norms imposed earlier. The MHA letter of Friday night stated that some amendments were being made with regard to the lockdown measures across the country.

The revised MHA order permits shops providing non-essential goods and services to open from Saturday, April 25. Under this revised order from MHA, registered neighbourhood and stand-alone shops would be permitted to open amid the COVID-19 lockdown. However, the use of masks and social distancing norms will continue to remain in place.

Shops which would be permitted during the lockdown period from Saturday include those which are located in residential complexes within and outside the limits of municipalities and municipal areas. The MHA letter, however, states that market complexes within the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities will not open from April 25.

Multi-brand and single-brand malls, as also shops and marketplaces and those located in municipality areas Coronavirus hotspots and containment areas will continue to remain shut.

The MHA order clearly states that its modification of the April 15 order will be subjected to conditions that these shops selling non-essential goods and services will run with 50% strength of workers, use of facemasks and effective practising of social distancing norms.

Shops which will open from today

• All shops registered under the shops and establishment act of the respective state or Union Territory including shops and residential complexes and market complexes outside the municipal corporation and municipalities will be permitted to open.

• Neighbourhood shops, stand-alone shops and shops in residential complexes, within the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities, will be permitted to function.

• Shops registered located and registered markets outside municipal corporations and municipalities can remain open only with 50% staff strength and if they follow norms of use of masks and social distancing.

• Local salons and parlours will be allowed to function from Saturday.

• In rural and semi-rural areas, all markets will be allowed to function.

• Non-essential goods and services in urban areas will be allowed to operate in residential areas or in the case of stand-alone shops.

• Market complexes, barring those within the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities, will be allowed to open.

• Neighbourhood shops will be allowed to function and will practise social distancing and the use of masks.

What will stay closed

• Shops in malls, both single brand as well as multi-brand, outside the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities will not be allowed to open.

• Shops in marketplaces, multi-brand and single-brand malls within the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities will not open from today.

• Shopping complexes, gymnasiums, cinema halls, malls, sports complexes, swimming pools, theatres, entertainment parks, bars and auditoriums, assembly halls and other such places will continue to remain closed.

• Market complexes in urban areas will not open from Saturday.

Mandatory Guidelines

• As per the MHA order, in all the shops within and outside the limits of municipalities and municipal corporations which are permitted to function from Saturday only 50% of staff strength will be allowed.

• All the workers must mandatorily wear face masks.

• Practising social distancing in shops which are allowed to open from Saturday is mandatory.