Maharashtra relaxes COVID-19 lockdown guidelines: What's allowed and what's not

(Representative image: Reuters)

Chief minister of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray on August 2 announced new guidelines for easing of lockdown curbs in those districts where the coronavirus positivity rate is low.

The order said that the restrictions that have been imposed for level 3 will be continued for Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, Pune, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Solapur, Ahmednagar, Beed, Raigad and Palghar districts.

Apart from these, in all the other districts, the existing restrictions have been revised.

Check what's allowed and what's not:

>> All essential and non-essential shops (including shopping malls) to remain open on all weekdays till 8 PM and till 3 PM on Saturday.

>> All agricultural activity, Civil Works, Industrial activity, transport of goods can remain functional at full capacity.

>> Gymnasiums, Yoga Centres, Hair Cutting salons, beauty parlors, Spa's can remain open without use of air-conditioners and with 50 percent capacity till 8 pm on weekdays. On Saturdays, these services can remain open till 3 PM. However, on Sundays these will have to remain shut.

>> All restaurants will remain open with 50 percent seating capacity till 4 pm on weekdays. Delivery and Takeaway of food to be allowed as it is allowed currently.

>> All Public Gardens and playgrounds can be kept open for the purpose of exercise, walking, jogging and cycling.

>> All government and private offices can remain operational with full capacity. Staggering of work hours to be done to avoid crowding while travelling, the order said. However, the offices that can function through working from home should consider doing so, it added.

>> All shops and malls except essential shops to remain closed on Sundays.

>> Restrictions on movement will be applicable from 9 pm to 5 am.

>> All cinema theatres, drama theatres and multiplexes (independent and inside malls) to remain closed till further orders.

>> All places of worship in the state to remain closed till further orders.

>> In a bid to avoid crowding, the new order includes restrictions imposed on birthday celebration, Political, Social and Cultural events, elections, election campaigning, rallies, protest marches.

As for as the decision to reopen schools and colleges in the state is concerned, the notification said, "orders of the State Education department and the Higher and Technical Department will be applicable. Thackeray, earlier in the day, said that allowing all segments of society in Mumbai local trains would be difficult “in the first phase" as the easing of curbs is being done slowly.

The F&B sector has been left disappointed with the continued restriction on opening restaurants in Mumbai beyond 4 pm, with the Mumbai civic body only allowing dine-in on weekends too now.

Reacting to Maharashtra’s latest COVID-19 lockdown rules, Pradeep Shetty, Sr Vice President, Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI), said: “In the first wave of the pandemic, the industry was closed for eleven months and after the second wave, four months, so far. This evening’s communication from the Government for the restaurant industry has come as a shock to us. There is no reason for imposing restrictions on restaurant timings and if it going to continue with the restrictions then the least the Government needs to do is waive the applicable statutory charges for restaurants. There are more than 25 districts in the state with a COVID-19 positivity rate of less than one percent. In Nagpur, it is less than 0.5 percent and yet, the state has imposed level three restrictions in these districts.”

Shetty added: “Most of Maharashtra’s neighbouring states have eased the lockdowns. Here, we neither have the permission to conduct business nor are we being compensated. We need a clear roadmap about what is to be expected from the Government for us to accordingly make informed decisions for our businesses.”