Unlock 5.0: What Fresh Relaxations Can Be Expected In October As Festive Season Begins?

Unlock 5 Expectations: The MHA has already allowed malls, salons, restaurants, gyms to operate with restrictions this month, here are the expectations from Unlock 5.0.

Representational Image/ (Photo by SAM PANTHAKY / AFP)

Unlock 5 Expectations: The fourth phase of India’s staggered unlocking will be getting over soon, and further relaxations are being expected by the people for the month of October - which will also mark the onset of festive season. Though the unlocking phase has been going on since June, the Ministry of Home Affairs  is slated to come out with fresh guidelines for October.  While, several relaxations have been introduced already in Unlock 4, here are the expectations from Unlock 5.0. Cinema Halls: The MHA has already allowed  malls, salons, restaurants, gyms to operate with restrictions this month, so it is being speculated that places like cinema halls, swimming pools, entertainment parks, which have still not received the go ahead, may open up in October or the following months. Whatever activities will be resumed, the necessary SOPs put in place by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will be mandatory. West Bengal has already given directions to resume cinema halls and other stage shows from October 1 with 50 participants or less Entertainment Parks: Entertainment parks that have been facing a lull since March, may be allowed to function with restrictions keeping in mind the festive seasons. However, only the final MHA guidelines will tell, when will these be resumed. Tourism: The tourism sector which has remained closed for more than 6 months may recover if Unlock 5 allows activities of the sector. Tourist destinations across Odisha will be reopened for the public in October, said state Tourism Minister Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi on Sunday. He said that the state government will ensure that COVID-19 guidelines are strictly implemented. Few days ago, Uttarakhand government allowed tourist entry to the state without any negative report or institutional quarantine rules. As per a report by  IANS,  the tourism department in Rajasthan has also formulated strategies to ensure safe tourism by issuing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). The tourist destinations and monuments are being sanitized and there is added emphasis on social awareness and hygiene in the new policy. Schools: Though, a lot of confusion and disagreement prevailed on the opening of classes for students during unlock 4. Many states opened schools for students class 9 to 12 from September 21, while many deferred the activity to next month. It is expected that states will come up with dates from when senior classes students will be allowed to visit schools, while schools for junior classes are expected to remain closed for few more weeks.