Lockdown 2.0 in India - Everything you need to know. What’s open & what’s closed?

India Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently announced to extend the nationwide lockdown in India to May 3 in order to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus with the exclusion of essential services. Hotel Booking, Air Ticket Reservation, Mall, Theater’s etc..

On April 14 Prime Minister of India officially extended the Lockdown further to contain the Coronavirus till 3rd May. Initially, the 21 nationwide lockdowns were started on 25th March and it was supposed to end on 14th April. However, as the coronavirus cases did not stop growing across the country, our central and state governments decided to extend the Lockdown thinking that this is the most effective way to contain the spread of Novel Coronavirus in India. Surely, It was the best thing to do because the COVID-19 cases should not overwhelm the healthcare system capacities across all states in our country. The lockdown will have all the essential services excluded.

In India, the total number of confirmed cases stands at around 10,815 as of April 14. This number includes patients (1,189) who were either discharged or cured after successfully treated and about 353 passed away due to the infection. Additionally, there was a coronavirus patient who decided to travel back to his own country after he/she was treated successfully after undergoing treatment.

We are presenting you the complete list of the things that are opened and what’s closed in the country so you can easily go through the second phase of the lockdown:

What is open in the country?

There are essential services that have been excluded from the lockdown 2.0. These essential services include health professionals (doctors, nurses, and scientists), media persons, security departments (police, security services), sanitization workers, farmers and all those people who are associated with the agricultural sector have been given permission to transport their products and carry out the services in the localities. However, the complete order in this regard across the nation is yet to be issued.

Dispensaries, hospitals, government offices, and sectors associated with key operations which are important for diagnosis and treatment of the COVID-19 virus infection, cooking gas agencies, food supply retail shops, and supply chains, fuel pumps, vegetable stores, diagnosis labs/clinics have been given exception in the lockdown and they are free to operate.

As per the news, in the Azadpur vegetable Mandi in Delhi, traders have chosen to follow the odd-even rule during the coronavirus outbreak. The numbers of shed of vegetable traders will be applicable for the odd-even rule in the Mandi and it will stay in effect from 6:00 AM to 11:00 AM and 02:00 PM to 06:00 PM. They will need to keep following the social distancing rules during the lockdown. The interstate and Intra-state movement of trucks loaded with essential goods and products such as milk, 

food, the vegetable is permitted. All the commercial trucks are given the concession to move, no matter they are moving essential goods and services or not.

People living in areas that have not been found as hotspot zones for the virus spread can go out of their homes and purchase essential goods and essential products like food items, milk, and other grocery commodities. However, it is mandatory to wear facemasks and gloves while stepping out of their homes and must move out if there is something important to do in which travel cannot be avoided.

What is closed?

All the domestic/ international flight booking and passenger trains will remain suspended till the lockdown (3 May). The same goes for all kinds of private/public transport (private school buses, metro trains, Cabs, buses, autos, rickshaws).

All the non-essential goods and services companies are not included in the list of exceptions issues by the state and central government officials. 

All the public places such as gyms, swimming pools, shopping malls, movie theatres, public parks, multiplexes, bars, and night clubs will remain closed till 3rd May.

Areas that are marked possible hotspots and containment zones will not be granted permission to move out of their homes and essential items such as food, milk, and groceries will be delivered right at their doorsteps.

After 20th April, what can open?

There is the number of businesses like fishing, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and coal mining industries that are likely going to be exempted from the lockdown only in places marked as “non-hotspots or non-containment zones”. More clarity will be given after April 20.

There are eateries (restaurants and dhabas) established on highways, mechanics shops such as truck repair shops, workers working in the construction companies that can be exempted from the lockdown. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has strictly advised that if even a single case of Coronavirus gets detected in districts (where certain operations are allowed), then all the lockdown restrictions will be restored like the way it was before and with more strictness.