Covid-19: MHA issues fresh directives till May 3

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) today issued fresh directives, listing select necessary activities which will be allowed to function from April 20 in identified areas of the country till May 3, the last day of extended lockdown as of now.

The directives shall be enforced by the district magistrate through fines and penal action as prescribed in the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the guidelines said.

The stipulations include:

<strong>Public spaces</strong>

1. Wearing of face cover is compulsory in all public places, work places.

2. All persons in charge of public places, work places and transport shall ensure social distancing as per the guidelines issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

3. No organization/manager of public place shall allow gathering of five or more persons

4. Gatherings such as marriages and funerals shall remain regulated by the district magistrate.

5. Spitting in public spaces shall be punishable with fine.

6. There should be strict ban on sale of liquor, gutka, tobacco, etc., and spitting should be strictly prohibited.

<strong>Work spaces</strong>

7. All work places shall have adequate arrangements for temperature screening and provide sanitizers at convenient places.

8. Work places shall have a gap of one hour between shifts and will stagger the lunch breaks of staff, to ensure social distancing.

9. Persons above 65 years of age and persons with co-morbidities and parents of children below the age of five may be encouraged to work from home.

10. Use of Arogya setu will be encouraged for all employees both private and public.

11. All organizations shall sanitize their work places between shifts.

12. Large meetings to be prohibited.

<strong>Manufacturing Establishments</strong>

13. Frequent cleaning of common surfaces and mandatory hand washing shall be mandated.

14. No overlap of shifts and staggered lunch with social distancing in canteens shall be ensured.

15. Intensive communication and training on good hygiene practices shall be taken up..