India Unlock 4.0 Guidelines: Metro Resume from September 7

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has issued the Unlock 4 Guidelines under the Country Unlock Procedure on Saturday. Metro trains suspended from March 22 in view of the outbreak of Coronavirus virus will be allowed to resume services from September 7 under special conditions, while 100 people will be allowed from September 21 for public and religious events.

In addition to the resumption of metro services in the country, 100 persons will be allowed to attend from 21 September for public ceremonies including sports, entertainment, political, social, educational, cultural, and religious. The necessity of using social distancing, face masks, thermal scanning, and hand washes or sanitizers to conduct such gatherings would be required. Open-air theaters have also been allowed to open from 21 September.

India Unlock 4.0 Guidelines

• According to the latest guidelines, states and union territories will be barred from imposing local lockdowns outside the prohibition areas without prior consultation with the central government. There will be no restriction on the inter-state movement of persons and goods, and such movements will no longer require separate permission, e-permit, or approval.

• Schools and universities will still be closed until September 30, up to 50% of employees in states and union territories may be called to the school for online teaching-related work. From September 21, only areas outside the area of ​​influence will be allowed.

• Students from classes 9 to 12 may be allowed to visit schools only in areas outside the zonal zone to seek guidance from teachers. The decision will be subject to written consent and guidelines from new parents or guardians.

• Swimming pools, cinema halls, amusement parks, cinemas are yet to be opened.

• All international air travel will remain suspended except as permitted by MHA.

• Recreation, cultural, religious, social, educational, sports, and political work will be permitted from 21 September with a ceiling of 100 persons.

• Social distancing measures will continue to be followed across the country, which will require maintaining adequate physical distance for those customers, including shops.

• The Ministry of Health has advised pregnant women, children below 10 years, people above 65, co-morbidities, and weak persons to stay at home.

The total number of coronavirus infections in the country crossed the 3.5 million mark on Saturday, with 78,479 cases reported in India on 29 August, to 35,33,712 cases on Saturday. This is the fourth consecutive day that more than 70,000 cases have been reported in the country. With 943 deaths in the same period, the country's toll has reached 63,657.