The Union Home Ministry on Friday stated that the government has decided to extend lockdown by another two weeks beyond May 3.
In what can be called Lockdown 3.0, the government has decided to extend the lockdown by another two weeks till May 17. Besides relaxed lockdown rules for green zones, there are talks of a massive credit relief package for small business.
In a release issued by the Home Ministry, the Modi government stated that the lockdown measures have helped the country in flattening of the curve, contain the spread of the pandemic. India reported 35,000 positive Covid-19 cases and more than 1,100 deaths. However, experts are also concerned about the economic pain caused by the lockdown, which has affected millions.
As part of the Lockdown 3.0, train, metro and air travel will remain suspended. Further, hospitalality and educational institutions will also remain closed. As per the new guidelines, some activities will be allowed in green zones. Green zones are those which have not reported even a single case for 21 days.
As per the new guidelines, the government has permitted industrial and construction activities in rural areas, including MNREGA works, food-processing units and brick-kilns in red zones. Harvesting, procurement and marketing operations are permitted, inland and marine fisheries, health services, transport of medical personnel and patients through air ambulances are allowed. Further, banks, non-banking finance companies (NBFCs), insurance and capital market activities and credit co-operative societies are permitted.
Buses can operate intra-state with up to 50 per cent seating capacity and bus depots can operate with up to 50 per cent capacity. Strict social distancing has to be followed. Curfew will be enforced from 7 pm to 7 am in green zones. Swimming pools, gyms, public gatherings not permitted. Two people can travel in two-wheelers. E-commerce business allowed in green zones. Weddings are permitted but with a restriction that only 50 people can attend, 20 people are allowed to partake in funerals. For the relief of bacchus lovers, sale of booze allowed in green zones but strict social distancing has to be maintained at liquor stores.
On Friday, the central government has finalised the list of containment zones and divided the states and districts into different categories according to the coronavirus situation in these areas. While Telangana has nine green zones, 6 red zones, 18 orange zones compared to one green, five red, seven orange zones in AP. AP has only one green zone i.e Viziangaram. Srikakulam lost its corona-free status after it reported more than six positive cases of corona and accordingly the central government has moved the district from green to orange zone.
The demarcation into zones will likely help the governments to finalise the lockdown exit plan following May 3 and whether it will be extended in some areas or the blanket ban on activities will continue. Below is the list of red, orange and green zones in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
The red zones in Andhra Pradesh include Kurnool, Guntur, Krishna, Nellore and Chittoor; East Godavari, West Godavari, Kadapa, Anantapur, Srikakulam, Prakasam, Visakha Green zone were demarcated as Orange zones, Vizianagaram is the lone district that was categorised as green zone by the central government
In Telangana, Hyderabad, Suryapet, Ranga Reddy, Medchal Malkajigiri, Vikarabad, Warangal Urban were demarcated as red zones, while Nizamabad, Jogulamba Gadwal, Nirmal, Nalgonda, Adilabad, Kamareddy, Sangareddy, Komaram Bheem, Asifabad, Khammam, Karimnagar, Mahbubnagar, Jagityal, Rajanna Siricilla, Jayashankar Bhupalapalli, Medak, Jangam, Narayapet fall under the category of orange zones and Peddapalli, Nagakurnool, Mulugu, Badradri Kothagudem, Mahabubabad, Siddipet, Warangal Rural, Wanaparty, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri categorised as green zones.
The Telangana government will be holding its fourth Cabinet meeting on May 5 to discuss the situation as the state has witnessed a downward trend in the number of positive corona cases. Telangana in the last one week has reported cases in single digits. The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao, will decide on allow certain activities in green zones and orange zones.
In the previous Cabinet meet, the Telangana government extended the lockdown till May 7 without any relaxations although the Modi government extended the nation-wide lockdown by May 3.
In its second Cabinet meeting on April 11, the government while extending the lockdown till April 30 sought economic stimulus measures from the central government, including relaxation of the fiscal limit under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act to five per cent so as to ensure that the State’s finances are not adversely impacted.
“The state revenues have declined significantly and therefore the central government should relax FRBM by at least 6 per cent,” the Chief Minister pointed out. Further, the Telangana government sought a moratorium on state loan repayments to be extended by at least to six months.
