Maharashtra brings blanket curb for weekends: All you need to know about mini lockdown

Girgaon Chowpatty was closed on Sunday. Pic/Ashish Raje

To fight the rise in cases, the state government has decided to impose harsh curbs - a night curfew and a blanket lockdown over weekends. The new orders named ‘Break the Chain' will be in force from Monday, April 5 and stay till April 30. The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers on Sunday.

People crowd outside a wine shop in Dadar on Sunday evening. Pic/Ashish Raje

Over the past two days, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray interacted with stakeholders to explain to them the dire need for strict curbs and a blanket lockdown on weekends. Only essential services will be allowed during the curfew time, and a weekend lockdown, from Fridays 8 pm to Mondays 7 am.

There will also be a curfew from 8 pm to 7 am and the assembly of five or more will be banned throughout the day. Cinema halls, multiplexes, malls, swimming pools, water parks, video parlours, sports complexes/clubs, gyms, spas, restaurants and bars (for dine-in) will be closed. Restaurants and roadside food stalls have been allowed only take away service between 7 am and 8 pm. They will have to ensure physical distancing among the ‘waiting' customers or else face a shutdown. E-commerce activity has been permitted only between 7 am and 8 pm and home delivery staff have been recommended to get vaccinated. A violation will invite a penalty of Rs 1,000 against the delivery staff and Rs 10,000 against the company.

Gardens, beaches and seafronts will be closed between 8 pm and 7 am, but the local administration has been empowered to close them during the day in case of crowding. Sources said the ban on the assembly of five and more will obviously give police the power to whisk away people during the daytime.

Except for grocery stores, medicine shops and vegetable vendors, all other shops, malls and markets will remain closed till April 30. Shops that are allowed to operate have been asked to vaccinate their employees at the earliest and ensure COVID appropriate behaviour by staff and customers.

The film industry has been barred from filming scenes involving crowds from April 10 onwards. Agriculture activity, transport of farm produce and raw material will not be stopped.

How will biz be affected?

Industrial units and factories are allowed to operate under COVID protocols. Construction contracted by the government will not stop; real estate activity will continue, provided the workers are given on-site accommodation. Real-estate developers have been advised against dismissing indisposed workers and pay them the wages for the days they don't work because of COVID-19.

Construction companies are not allowed to transport anything except building material. Private offices have been asked to work from home on full strength. Banks, stocks market, life and health insurance companies, pharma companies, electricity/water supply and telecommunication will work from their office premises. Non-essential government offices will work at 50 per cent employee strength. Pandemic-related offices will work at full strength. Visitors will not be allowed in government offices. Physical meetings are discouraged and online meets preferred.

All religious places will remain closed and only caretakers will be allowed inside. Schools, private coaching classes will not operate. Schools will be allowed to open only to conduct the forthcoming board exams.

Newspaper printing and circulation has been allowed and vendors and delivery staff have been asked to get vaccinated. Housing societies with five and more positive patients will be converted into mini containment zones. A display board will be put and the entry of outsiders will be barred.

In relief for people engaged in essential services and jobs allowed under new guidelines, public transport will run. However, standing commuters are not allowed. Private vehicles, taxis and auto-rickshaws have been allowed under restrictions like limited passengers.

Think of distressed people, give financial package: BJP

Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis appealed to the state government to think of the welfare of distressed people. "The government should announce a financial package for the people," said Fadnavis. "We will always support the govt. We have instructed our workers to assist the state machinery in vaccination. State must also discuss the new virus mutant and ways must be found to fight it because I'm told the mutant affects the lungs very severely," he said. He said cities other than Pune and Mumbai should also get a boost in terms of COVID care and bed strength. "Daily wagers, farmers, poor, middle class and small traders should be given financial assistance. We haven't politicised the pandemic and we expect ruling parties to stop masking their failure by blaming the Centre every time they face a crisis. The government shouldn't expect one-way response (from the BJP). We have cooperated earlier and will continue to support in the future," said Fadnavis.

Rules on movement

>> Bus staff must carry COVID -ve report, be vaccinated from April 10
>> During weekends, private vehicles may ply only in emergencies, for essential services
>> Visiting restaurants for takeaways barred during weekend
>> Election campaign allowed with permission; 50 people in enclosed spaces, 200 outdoors

Black day: AHAR

Indian Hotel & Restaurant Association's (AHAR) president Shivanand Shetty said, "Today is a black day for the industry as measures to fight the pandemic are turning out to be far more hard-hitting than the pandemic. The state government has driven in the last nail into the coffin. The industry can't survive this time as we cannot pay staff salaries, licence fees, meet operational expenses, etc. with mere home delivery and takeaways." The Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association (FRTWA) also condemned the restrictions.

- With inputs from Diwakar Sharma