Only essential services allowed in 'hotspot' zones, say new lockdown guidelines

No unchecked movement of people except for those maintaining essential services and providing medical care will be permitted from the COVID-19 'hotspot' zones, according to the new lockdown guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday.

The ministry emphasized that even the activities allowed under the new guidelines will not be permitted in the 'hotspot' zones, or the areas/clusters with high occurrence of COVID-19 cases.

The 'hotspots' will be determined as per the guidelines issued by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). In these hotspots, containment zones will be demarcated by states/UTs/district administrations as per the guidelines of MoHFW. In these containment zones, the activities allowed under these guidelines will not be permitted, the MHA guidelines said.

"There shall be strict perimeter control in the area of the containment zones to ensure that there is no unchecked inward/outward movement of population in these zones except for maintaining essential services (including medical emergencies and law and order related duties) and government business continuity," it said.

Several hotspot zones have been declared by various state governments to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The MHA has given a detailed list of services which will be allowed from April 20 in areas not demarcated as 'hotspots'. There, multiple services will be allowed with conditions.

The MHA guidelines came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of lockdown till May 3 amid surging coronavirus cases in the country.