Lockdown 5.0 ‘Unlock 1’: Full Guidelines Scheduled to Start from June 1

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued new guidelines for the fifth lockdown (Lockdown 5.0) process scheduled to begin on Monday, June 1.

All activities outside containment zones can start in a phased manner from June 1, according to new guidelines. The new guidelines will take effect from June 1 and will remain in effect until June 30.

The latest reopening process is termed as ‘Unlock 1’ and it will concentrate on the economy.

Certain practices previously banned will be permitted in a phased manner in areas beyond containment zones, with the following Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to be approved by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).

Phase 1:

Religious places or places of worship for the public, hotels, restaurants, other leisure facilities and shopping centres will be permitted to open from June 8 onwards.

In coordination with the appropriate central ministries/departments and other stakeholders, the Ministry of Health will issue SOPs for the above practices to ensure social distancing and to contain the spread of Covid-19.

Phase 2:

After consultations with the States and the Union Territories (UT), schools, colleges, educational / training/coaching institutions, etc. will be opened.

State governments / UT administrations were urged to meet with parents and other stakeholders at institution-level. A decision on the re-opening of these institutions will be taken in July, based on the feedback. MoHFW will prepare SOPs for those institutions.

Phase 3:

Dates for the opening of the below-mentioned activities shall be determined on the basis of a situation assessment of Covid-19 cases. Nonetheless, lockdown must continue to be exclusively enforced in the containment zones.

With the new guidelines, as of June 1, only a small range of activities will remain prohibited throughout the world. The services which are still suspended are:

After a discussion with the Centre by the state governments, all these services will be allowed to resume. The dates of the meetings are still not available, though.

The containment zones will be demarcated by the governments of the state / UT, after taking into account the Health Ministry guidance. Strict perimeter protection shall be maintained within the containment zones, and only essential activities shall be permitted.

Unrestricted movement of persons and goods

The ministry of home affairs has lifted all restrictions on people’s intra-state and inter-state travel. However, with a revised schedule, the night curfew will continue to remain in force. Individual movement, for all non-essential activities, will be banned from June 1 from 9 pm to 5 am.

For such moves, no separate permission/approval/e-permit/e-pass is required.

However, if a State / UT proposes to regulate the movement of people on the basis of public health reasons and its assessment of the situation, it will give wide publicity in advance regarding the restrictions to be placed on such movements, and it will have to follow the related procedures, the MHA guidelines said.

National Directives for Covid-19 management

National Directives for Covid-19 management will continue to be followed across the country, in order to ensure social distancing, according to the latest guidelines.

It is the responsibility of States to decide activities outside the containment zones.

States and UTs may prohibit certain activities outside the containment zones, based on their assessment of the situation, or impose restrictions as deemed necessary, as mentioned in the new guidelines.

Protection for vulnerable

Vulnerable individuals, i.e. those above the age of 65, those with co-morbidities, pregnant women and children under the age of 10 years, are advised to remain at home, except to fulfil essential requirements and for health purposes.