New Delhi /Bhubaneswar : Three days ahead of completing 68-day country wide lockdown, the Centre is learnt to have come up with a road map of an exit plan from the crisis in its fourth extension of the restrictions ‘5.0’,which may allow malls and restaurants to reopen and limit restrictions only in containment zones.
There is a possibility of allowing religious places to function. But social distancing norms, use of face cover and Aarogya Setu mobile app would be the key entry tickets everywhere.
However, education institutes are supposed to function online only in the further extension expected to cover a minimum of 10 days as the lockdown 4.0 ends on May 31.
The Centre in the new range of restrictions would sharpen its focus on containment zones, which would have to be geographically defined based on factors such as mapping of cases and contacts and their geographical spread. This would enable the authorities to demarcate a well- defined perimeter and enforce strict protocols of lockdown.
Sources in the governments suggested that it would be a “different fight” in the lockdown 5.0 against the deadly virus which has so far infected over 1.65 lakh people and killed 4,706 Indians. The country ranks 9th in the world in the context of highly COVID-19 -affected countries.
From June 1, municipal corporations would decide if residential colonies, mohallas, municipal wards or police-station areas, municipal zones, towns could be designated as containment zones.
The fresh guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs for the extended lockdown will give powers to states to take strict measures as per their need without diluting Centre’s norms.
The indications came during two detailed meetings held on Thursday — first chaired in the morning by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, and the second by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Both the meetings were held through video conferencing.