Mumbai Metro can resume operations from Oct 15: Maha government

The circular in this regard was issued on Wednesday and a formal announcement from the Metro authorities is awaited

Under ‘Mission Begin Again’, the Maharashtra government has allowed the Mumbai Metro Versova-Ghatkopar line 1 operations to resume from October 15 in a graded manner. The circular in this regard was issued by the state government on Wednesday and a formal announcement from the Metro authorities is awaited.

BREAKING- Maharashtra govt allows Mumbai Metro Versova-Ghatkopar @MumMetro Line 1 operations to be resumed from October 15 in a graded manner! Formal announcement from Metro team awaited. @mid_day pic.twitter.com/OTo3qKceo8

— Rajendra B. Aklekar (@rajtoday) October 14, 2020

The government and private libraries will also be allowed to open. Weekly bazaars can also resume and business to business exhibitions are also permitted under the fresh guidelines.

National Directives for COVID-19 management

• Face coverings - Wearing of face cover is compulsory in public places, in workplaces and during transport.
• Social distancing - Individuals must maintain a minimum distance of 6 feet in public places. Shops will ensure physical distancing among customers and will not allow more than five persons at one time.
• Gatherings - Large public gatherings/congregations continue to remain prohibited.
• Marriage related gatherings - Number of guests not to exceed 50.
• Funeral/last rites related gatherings - Number of persons not to exceed 20.
• Spitting in public places will be punishable with fine, as may be prescribed by the concerned authority in accordance with its laws, rules or regulations.
• Consumption of liquor, paan, gutka, tobacco, etc. in public places is prohibited.

Directives for workplaces

• Work from Home - As far as possible the practice of work from home should be followed. Staggering of work/business hours will be followed in offices, workplaces, shops, markets and industrial and commercial establishments.
• Screening and Hygiene - Provision for thermal screening, hand wash and sanitizer will be made available at all entry and exit points and common areas.
• Frequent sanitization of the entire workplace, common facilities and all points which come into human contact e.g. door handles etc. will be ensured, including between shifts.
• Social Distancing - All persons in charge of workplaces will ensure the adequate distance between workers, adequate gaps between shifts, staggering the lunch breaks of staff, etc.

Containment zones

• The directions issued by the Central government and state government from time to time to demarcate the containment zones and operations therein will be in force till further orders.
• All essential shops which are allowed to remain open before this order, shall continue to do so.
• The activities already allowed and permitted from time to time shall be continued.

Activities permitted outside the containment zone

• Schools, colleges, educational and coaching institutions will continue to remain closed for students and regular class activity up to October 31.
• Skill or Entrepreneurship training will be permitted in National Skill Training Institutes, Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), short term training centres registered with National Skill Development Corporation or State Skill Development Missions or other ministries of government of India or government of Maharashtra.
• All government and private libraries will be allowed to function following all COVID-19 protocols of social distancing and sanitation from October 15. The SOPs for the operation of the same will be issued by the Higher and Technical Education department.
• Metro Rail will be allowed to operate with effect from October 15 in a graded manner. The SOPs for the same will be issued by the Urban Development department, taking into consideration the SOPs issued by the ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for the same.
• Gardens, parks and public open spaces for recreational purposes will continue to be open.
• Local weekly bazaars will be permitted to open in areas outside the Containment Zones only with effect from October 15. The SOPs for the same will be issued by the concerned rural /urban local bodies.
• With an objective to control/reduce crowding, the markets/shops will be permitted to open for 2 additional hours and can function from 9 am to 9 pm.

Maharashtra's daily COVID-19 deaths have plummeted below the 200-mark for the second straight day on Tuesday -- and just the third time in five month -- even as Mumbai Metropolitan Region fatalities crossed the 17,000 mark.

The state witnessed 187 fatalities on Tuesday, slightly higher than the 165 deaths on Monday and 178 on June 15, taking the toll to 40,701 now.

The state recorded another low of 8,522 cases on Tuesday, a day after 7,089 new infections on Monday, taking the state's tally to 15,43,837 cases.

In great relief, the state recovery rose for the seventh day - from 83.49 per cent to 84.03 per cent - while the mortality rate remained stable at 2.64 per cent for the 10th day.

Meanwhile, 15,356 fully-recovered patients returned home - nearly double compared to fresh cases - taking up the total number of discharged patients from 12,81,896 to 12,97,252 so far, as against 205,415 active cases in the state.

As per Tuesday's figures, there was one death roughly every 7.7 minutes and 355 new cases added every hour to the state tally.

Of the 187 deaths, Mumbai continues to lead with 38 fatalities, while there were 20 deaths in Thane, and 19 each in Pune and Nagpur.

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