Further tightening its grip over the spread of novel coronavirus, the Maharashtra government on Wednesday announced stricter COVID-19 guidelines to contain the virus.
Maharashtra has been witnessing a huge surge in COVID-19 cases. Despite the state reporting over 50,000 coronavirus cases every day in the last two weeks, people have been flouting COVID-19 protocols put in place to curb the menace.
Maharashtra coronavirus guidelines:
- People to be stamped for inter-city and inter district travel on alighting
- All government offices (State, Central, under local authority) to operate only with 15 per cent attendance except for emergency services directly connected to the management of COVID 19 pandemic.
- Other essential services office also to have 15% staff or 5 people whichever is less.
- Private buses can ply with 50% of seating capacity with no standing travellers.
- Inter-city or inter-district travel by private buses shall be subject to following controls:
- Bus service operator must restrict the stoppages to maximum two in a city and shall inform local DMA about the same and the schedule. Local DMA may ask to change these if so desired.
- At the stoppages where passengers are alighting all passengers shall be stamped on the hand for 14 days home quarantine. This stamping must be done by operator.
- 14 day quarantine if traveling intercity or inter district
- The marriage ceremony may be conducted only as a single event in a single hall not extending beyond 2 hours with a maximum of a total of 25 persons attending the same. Any family seen to be flaunting the restraints or not following these in letter and spirit may be fined Rs 50000/-, and any location that is misused or is defaulting in the spirit of the restrictions shall be closed till the promulgation of Covid 19 as a disaster.
- Private Passenger transport excluding buses can ply only for emergency or essential services or valid reasons with driver plus of the seating capacity. These are not expected to be inter district or inter-city and should be confined to the city of residence of the travellers. Inter district or inter-city travel is allowed only if required for performing an essential service or in case of medical emergencies or attending unavoidable events like funerals or severe sickness of family. Anyone flouting the order in letter or spirit shall be punishable by fine of Rs 10000/-.
Apart from these guidelines, the Maharashtra government on April 20 ordered that grocery and food shops will remain open only between 7 am to 11 am till May 1.
“All grocery, vegetable shops, fruit vendors, dairies, bakeries, confectioneries, all types of food shops including chicken, mutton, poultry, fish and eggs, shops related to agricultural implements and farm produce, pet food shops, shops related to materials for impending rainy season will remain open from 7 am to 11 am” the order read.
