New Delhi (NVI): Metro services, suspended since March 22 in wake of the coronavirus outbreak, will be allowed to operate from September 7, according to the ‘Unlock 4’ guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) today.
The guidelines issued by MHA will come into effect from September 1 and will be in place till September 30. Furthermore, lockdown shall continue to be implemented strictly in the containment zones till September 30.
Metro services will be operated in a graded manner, in accordance with Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) to be issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MOHUA).
Schools and colleges will remain closed till September 30, according to the guidelines. However, states and union territories may permit upto 50 per cent of teaching and non teaching staff to be called to school for online teaching related work. This will only be allowed for areas outside the containment zones with effect from September 21.
Apart from the resumption of Metro services, public gatherings including social, academic, sports, entertainment, cultural and religious will be permitted from September 21 with a ceiling of 100 persons.
Mandatory wearing of face masks, social distancing, provision for thermal scanning and hand wash or sanitisers will be required to hold such gatherings.
Besides, open air theatres will also be permitted to open from September 21.
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 MHA statement added.
With India reporting 76,472 cases in the last 24 hours, the total number of coronavirus infections in the country crossed the 34 lakh mark to reach 34,63,973 cases on Saturday.
This is the third consecutive day when over 70,000 cases have been recorded in the country. With as many as 1,021 deaths in the same period, the country’s toll has reached 62,500.
-CHK
