The Government of Maharashtra (“Government”) has notified revised guidelines to implement lockdown during weekends along with night curfew and other restrictions as an emergency measure to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 in the State in light of the threat of spike in COVID-19 cases. These guidelines will be effective from 8 p.m. today and remain in effect till 30th April, 2021.
Key Highlights:
1. All private offices to be closed, except the following:
a. Pharmaceutical company offices needed for management of production distribution;
b. Insurance/ Mediclaim Companies;
c. Cooperative, PSU and Private Banks;
d. Telecom Service Providers;
e. BSE/ NSE;
f. Electric Supply related Companies;
Offices to ensure vaccination at the earliest, in order to reopen without the fear of spread of COVID-19.
2. Manufacturing sector may be operational, subject to fulfilling the following conditions:
a. Factories and manufacturing units to scan body temperature of labourers pre- entry;
b. Factories/ Units with more than 500 workers to set up their own quarantine facilities;
c. All staff to get vaccinated at the earliest;
d. If a labourer/ worker is found to be COVID positive, other laborers who have come into active contact with him to be quarantined with pay;
e. In case of any worker found to be positive, unit to be closed until completely sanitised;
f. Lunch and tea breaks to be staggered in order to avoiding crowding and no common eating places shall be used;
g. Common toilet facilities to be sanitised frequently;
h. From 10th April, 2021, all workers to get vaccinated and till the time vaccination is complete, workers to carry a valid negative RT-PCR test result certificate (which will be valid for 15 days);
i. If a worker is found positive, he or she shall be allowed medical leave which may not be discontinued during absence for this reason. He or she will be entitled for full wages that he or she might have earned had he or she not contracted COVID-19;
3. Everyone engaged in e-commerce to get vaccinated at the earliest and till such time carry a negative RT-PCR certificate till the time of vaccination, with effect from 10th April, 2021;
4. From 7 am to 8 pm on weekdays, more than 5 people not allowed to move together or gather in any public place;
5. From 8 pm to 7 am (weekdays and weekends) no one is allowed to move in public places without valid reasons or by permission;
Note:
Medical and other ‘essential services’ including e-commerce, public transport, transport of goods, accredited media, pharmaceutical companies, other medical and health services, hospitals, diagnostic centers, clinics, medical insurance offices etc. are exempt and the above-mentioned restrictions shall not be applicable.
6. Industrial process that is a net consumer of oxygen as a raw material is to be disallowed from 10th April, 2021. Anyone desirous of carrying out such a process is required to approach the licensing authority and specifically ask for permission to continue by explaining the reasons thereof;
7. Industrial producers of oxygen shall reserve 80% of their production (actual as well as capacity) for medical or pharmaceutical purposes and further declare their customers and end use of the oxygen supplied from 10th April, 2021 onwards;
8. Construction activity shall be allowed for sites where labourers are living on site, while movement to and fro from outside must be avoided; everyone engaged to be vaccinated at the earliest; if a worker is found positive he or she would be allowed medical leave and cannot be discontinued during this absence for this reason. He or she will be entitled for full wages that he or she might have earned had he or she not contracted corona;
9. Public transport shall be fully operational with the following restrictions:
a. Auto Rickshaw: two passengers and driver allowed;
b. Taxi (4 wheeler): driver allowed along with passenger at 50 % capacity;
c. Buses permitted to ply at full occupancy as per RTO; no standing passengers will be allowed;
d. Persons using public transport to compulsorily wear masks in a proper manner;
e. Vehicles to be sanitized after every trip;
f. All public transport drivers and other staff coming into contact with the public to get vaccinated at the earliest and till such time carry a negative Corona result; or keep himself/ herself isolated through a plastic sheet or otherwise;
g. In case of outstation trains, railway authorities to ensure that there are no standing passengers in the general compartment and that all passengers use masks;
Violation of the above-mentioned requirements for public transport shall attract fines.
10. Private vehicles including private buses allowed to ply normally from 7 am to 8 pm from Monday to Friday and for the purposes of emergency or essential services for rest of the period (8 pm to 7 am on weekdays and 8 pm on Friday to 7 am on Monday; staff to get vaccinated and till the time of vaccination carry a valid negative RT-PCR test result certificate, effective from 10th April, 2021;
11. Personnel belonging to home delivery services to be vaccinated at the earliest and upon not being vaccinated, such personnel shall carry negative RT-PCR report; effective from 10th April, 2021. If the requirement for vaccination is not met by 10th April, a fine of Rs. 1000 will be levied on the offender while a fine of Rs. 10,000 will be levied on the establishment;
12. Beaches/ public grounds and gardens to remain closed from 8 pm to 7 am on weekdays and from 8 pm on Fridays up to 7 am on Mondays; visitors to follow COVID Appropriate Behaviour;
13. Shops, markets and malls to remain closed except for essential services; essential services shops to operate while ensuring social distancing between customers, while extra customers are to be kept waiting with adequate social distancing with markings (wherever possible);
14. Essential shops owners and person working at all shops to get vaccinated at the earliest, as per criteria of Government of India, all shops have been advised to follow safety measures like interaction with customers through a transparent glass or other material shields, electronic payment etc.
15. Cinema halls, theatres, auditoriums, clubs, swimming pools, amusement parks, water parks, arcades and video game parlours to remain closed; and all persons connected with these establishments to get vaccinated;
16. Shooting of films / serials and advertisements to be allowed subject to avoiding scenes with large number of artists and everyone shall carry a negative RT-PCR test certificate, valid for 15 days, effective from 10th April, 2021;
17. Restaurants and bars to be closed except for those inside the campus and integral parts of hotels. Take away orders, parcels and home delivery services to be allowed between 7 AM to 8 PM from Monday to Friday. On weekends only home delivery services shall be allowed between 7 AM to 8 PM and there shall be no visiting any restaurant or bar for ordering purposes or pickup.
18. Barber shops/ Spa’s/ Salons and Beauty Parlours to remain closed and all staff to get vaccinated at the earliest to expedite the re-opening;
19. Newspapers to be printed and circulated with home delivery allowed between 7 am to 8 pm on a daily basis;
20. Co-operative Housing Society having more than 5 active Corona positive cases will be treated as a micro containment zone and all such societies to ensure that all persons coming into the building on a regular basis shall get their RT-PCR tests done till the time of vaccination.
Source: Government of Maharashtra
