india

Updated: Jun 18, 2020 15:28 IST

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of Covid-19 lockdown, the government on Wednesday issued revised guideline to be followed till May 3.

Travel by air, rail and road, operation of educational and training institutions, industrial and commercial activities, hospitality services, cinema halls and shopping complexes will remain closed, as per the order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday.

All social, political and other events and opening of all religious places will also remain closed till the time the lockdown is in force, said the order.

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The use of homemade face covers at workplace and public places has been made mandatory. The offices have been asked to provide sanitisers, run staggered shifts, ensure access control and put in place thermal screening, as per the revised guideline.

“The objective of the revised guidelines is to consolidate the gains achieved during the 1st phase of lockdown and further slow down the spread of Covid-19 and at the same time provide relief to farmers and labour and daily wage earners,” the government said in a release.

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“The revised consolidated guidelines are aimed at operating those sectors of the economy which are critical from the perspective of rural and agricultural development and job creation, while maintaining strict protocols in areas where safety is paramount to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the country,” the government release said.

To mitigate hardship to the public, select additional activities will be allowed and come into effect from April 20.

As per the guideline, “additional activities will be operationalised by states and the Union Territories (UTs) based on strict compliance to the existing guidelines on lockdown measures”.

The revised guideline will not apply in containment zones, as demarcated by states, union territories and district administration.

The guideline was issued after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday morning announced extension of the 21-day lockdown for another 19 days until May 3 to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus or Covid-19 pandemic.