Lockdown 4.0 Rules To Be Unveiled Soon, Here's What Different States Are Mulling

While many states are against entire districts being put in red zones due to presence of containment zones, some wanted that right of demarcation of zones be transferred to the states.

(PTI Photo/Kamal Singh)

New Delhi: As the country will enter into the fourth phase of the lockdown with new rules based on the suggestions of the states which will be unveiled to the citizens before 18 May, it is definitely making businesses and common man anxious. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the nationwide lockdown will be extended to contain the novel coronavirus outbreak in India but lockdown 4 will not be the same and have different rules since it was first imposed since March 25. The PM has said that coronavirus will remain a part of our lives for a very long time. However, stated that life cannot revolve around Covid-19 only. The guidelines defining containment zones, which works as an indicator for enforcing lockdown 4.0 is expected to be unveiled by Saturday. While many states are against entire districts being put in red zones due to the presence of containment zones, some wanted that right of demarcation of zones to be transferred to the states. Find out what states are mulling about the Lockdown 4.0.

• Maharashtra: With an increasing number of coronavirus cases in Maharashtra, the government is mulling to extend the lockdown in hotspot areas of the state. According to a report by PTI, the Maharashtra government has hinted that they might extend the lockdown till May 31 in hotspot areas Metropolitan Region (MMR), Pune, Solapur, Aurangabad, and Malegaon. Maharashtra has become the epicentre for Coronavirus in the country. At present, it has a total of 27,524 confirmed cases.
• Gujarat: Gujarat, with the second-highest number of coronavirus cases at 9,591 is looking at the resumption of economic activities in major urban centres except for Ahmedabad, according to a report in Hindustan Times. The state wants lockdown only in the containment zones. However, the majority of the Covid-19 cases are clustered in the urban centres including Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara. It is likely that some relaxations are given in districts where no cases have been reported.
• Delhi has also suggested Economic activities to resume in all parts of Delhi except containment zones. IT has suggested operation of construction activities, the opening of markets, shopping complexes, buses and metro services with strict social distancing norms, according to news agency PTI report. Arvind Kejriwal is believed to have asked to keep the containment zones like Nizamuddin and buffer areas around under strict curbs while freeing the rest of the city, allowing more activities, according to IANS.

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• Tamil Nadu also wants economic activity to be resumed except in containment zones. The state is now considering the extension of the lockdown until May 31 with some ease in restrictions, according to Times of India report.  Tamil Nadu CM Palaniswami is against allowing regular air services till 31 May citing increasing Covid-19 cases in the state and also opposed to train services until 31 May.
• Andhra Pradesh: During the meeting with PM, Andhra Pradesh CM Jaganmohan Reddy has asked for relaxation of lockdown measures, with strict adherence to personal hygiene protocols. The state has created as many as six committees to work out lockdown strategies and exit plan for different sectors, said K S Jawahar Reddy, state special chief secretary (medical and health).
• Kerala is also looking at the resumption of metro services, local trains, domestic flights, restaurants, and hotels to revive the tourism sector. "States face different challenges and therefore should be given the freedom to make reasonable changes to the guidelines relating to the lockdown," said Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
• While eastern states comprising Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha want to continue with stricter lockdown as their Covid-19 cases have spiked due to the return of migrant workers.
• West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has unilaterally announced its extension while promising more relaxations. "A meeting was held with DMs and SPs. I have told them the lockdown will continue but we need to focus on relaxation. Our rural economy has also been broken. There must be a balance between tackling coronavirus and saving livelihoods," she had said a day after she accused the Centre of playing "politics" with her state over COVID-19 and asking it to leave it to states on determining zones, according to IANS report.

• Even Assam has supported an extension of the lockdown. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who also indicated that it was up to the Centre to take a decision on this matter, told ANI: "Let Government of India take a view because it is not a single step... many steps have to be considered".
• Both Himachal and Uttarakhand are expected to allow hotels and resorts to open with limited capacity.
• Jharkhand’s rural development minister Alamgir Alam has informed the state will allow all standalone shops and will provide work to migrant workers, who have returned home.
• Several states such as Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan have also asked its people for suggestions on lockdown 4.0.

(With inputs from agencies)