The government of India has banned the sale of substances like liquor and tobacco during the extended lockdown in place to ensure social distancing, a key tool in the fight against the coronavirus.
In a list of directives released today, enforceable under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) banned the sale of liquor, tobacco and gutka and also introduced new points like wearing a face mask in public places will be compulsory, spitting in public spaces shall be punishable with fine and selected activities to be allowed from April 20 in non-hotspot places.
However, most of these services will only be permitted outside containment areas notified by local administrations.
The National Directive for novel coronavirus or COVID-19 management made it compulsary that "no organisation, management of public place shall allow gathering of five or more persons".
In the fresh order issued on April 14, all the work places shall have adequate arrangement for "temperature screening and providing sanitizers at convenient places".
"Work places shall have a gap of one hour between shifts and will stagger the lunch break of staff to ensure social distancing. Persons above 65 years of age and persons with comorbidities and parents of children below the age of five may be encouraged to work from home."
The order specifically mentions the use of Aarogya Setu app. "Use of Arogya setu will be encouraged for all employees both private and public."
The order stresses that all organisations shall sanitize their work places between shifts and "large meetings will be prohibited".
Guidelines for manufacturing establishments
For the manufacturing establishments, the order mentions frequent cleaning of common surface and mandatory hand washing. "No overlap of shifts and staggered lunch with social distancing in canteens shall be ensured."
"Intensive communication and training on good hygiene practices shall be taken up."The revised guidelines will not apply in containment zones, as demarcated by states, UTs Aand district administration.
"If any new area is included in the category of containment zone, the activities allowed in that area till the time of its categorization as a containment zone, will be suspended except for those activities as are specifically permitted under the guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW)."
Besides, wearing face cover is compulsory in all public places and workplaces, the guideline mentions. To mitigate hardship to the public, select additional activities will be allowed and come into effect from April 20, mentions the order under Disaster Management Act 2005.
The new order was issued after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday morning announced extension of the 21-day lockdown for another 19 days till May 3 to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic that has crossed 11,000 cases in India.
(With agency inputs)
