Unlock 4.0 rules for Jammu and Kashmir: What is allowed, what is not

The centre on August 29 released guidelines for ‘Unlock 4.0’ which will begin on September 1 upon completion of Unlock 3.0 on August 31. Unlock 4.0 will remain in force until September 30.

While issuing the Unlock 4 guidelines, the Union home ministry had said that state governments shall not impose any local lockdown outside containment zones without prior consultation with the central government.

Also read: Unlock 4 guidelines: What's allowed and what's not

While a strict lockdown will continue in the containment zones, certain relaxations have been provided in Unlock 4.0. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has permitted social/academic/sports/cultural/religious congregations, among others, to be held with a ceiling of 100 persons. This will be effective from September 21.

Also read: Unlock 4.0: Fresh guidelines issued; metro, social academic events allowed

Additionally, metro rail services will be allowed to function from September 7 in a graded manner, by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MOHUA)/ Ministry of Railways (MOR), in consultation with the MHA.

The home ministry said that after extensive consultation with states and UTs, it has been decided that schools, colleges, educational and coaching institutions will continue to remain closed for students and regular class activity up to September 30. However, students of classes 9 to 12 may be permitted to visit their schools in areas outside the containment zones only on a voluntary basis for taking guidance from their teachers.

There will 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.

Cinema halls, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres (excluding open-air theatre), and similar places will remain closed.

The suspension of scheduled international passenger flights has also been extended till September 30, said Indian aviation regulator DGCA. "However, international scheduled flights may be allowed on selected routes by the competent authority on a case-to-case basis," noted the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in a circular.

Lockdown shall remain in force in the containment zones till September 30.
Strict containment measures will be enforced in these containment zones and only essential activities will be allowed.

While states and UTs can still refuse to permit some activities allowed by the central government, they cannot give relaxations for activities that have not been allowed by the Centre yet.

Persons above 65 years of age, persons with co-morbidities, pregnant women, and children below the age of 10 years are advised to stay at home, except for essential and health purposes.

Also read: Unlock 4 guidelines: Here's all you need to know

Jammu and Kashmir on August 30 recorded its highest single-day spike of 786 coronavirus cases, taking the total number of infected people to 37,163, even as nine fresh deaths were reported, officials said. They said of the new cases, 354 were from the Jammu region, and 432 from the Kashmir valley.

The fresh infections have pushed the number of active COVID-19 cases in the state to 11,577, while 26,448 people have recovered from the disease so far, it said.

The novel coronavirus tally in India crossed 36 lakh on August 31 with 78,512 new cases, while the number of recoveries surged to 27,74,801, pushing the recovery rate to 76.62 per cent, the Health Ministry said.

The death toll climbed to 64,469 with 971 more people succumbing to the infection in a span of 24 hours, according to the ministry data.

There are 7,81,975 active cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country, while 27,74,801 people have recovered. The total coronavirus cases rose to 36,21,245, it said.

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