India issues fresh guidelines to enforce lockdown

By Cheena Kapoor

New Delhi, India (AA) – India on Wednesday released a fresh set of guidelines, a day after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced to extend the lockdown period till May 3, to stem the spread of novel coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic.

According to revised guidelines, inter-district movements of people have been restricted, while allowing exemptions for agriculture, e-commerce, limited manufacturing in rural areas and IT services. Restrictions on all transport services will continue till May 3.

“The guidelines also prescribe national directives for COVID-19 management, standard operating procedures for social distancing at offices, workplaces, factories and establishments, and propose penalties for offenses regarding violation of lockdown measures under relevant sections of Disaster Management Act 2005 and other provisions of IPC [Indian penal code], “said a statement issued by the Home Ministry.

Spitting in public has been made a punishable offence and a strict ban enforced on sale of liquor and tobacco.

Despite the 21-day lockdown, the COVID-19 cases have continued to surge in India, from 500 reported on March 22 to 11,487 cases including 393 deaths reported on April 15, according to data compiled by the U.S.-based John Hopkins Coronavirus Centre.

As many as 1,076 fresh cases have been reported during the past 24 hours, said the data released by the Health Ministry.

Public places such as cinema halls, malls, bars, shopping complexes, swimming pools, gyms, sports complexes, educational institutions, and coaching centers will remain closed until May 3. All social, religious, sports, political functions, religious places and places of worship will also remain shut for public.

The guidelines have asked district authorities to undergo an evaluation on April 20. Depending on the evaluation and success in containment, a limited economic activity will be allowed in the areas to mitigate hardship to the public, read the Home Ministry statement.

The cabinet secretary, the topmost bureaucrat in India held a meeting with the chief secretaries of all states to discuss the implementation of new guidelines.

-Stranded migrant workers

Soon after the prime minister announced the much-anticipated extension of the 21-days lockdown on April 14, migrant workers gathered at the railway station in Mumbai, India’s commercial capital.

The migrant workers, in thousands, reached several bus and train stations had been hoodwinked by a fake message on social media that train services have been resumed.

“Many from our slum too reached stations to get on the trains, trying to return to their villages. At Bandra Station, police tried to request them to move away and follow social distancing. But when the workers refused, police used batons to disperse them,” Mohammad Ayyub Sheikh, Secretary of Dharavi Nagrik Sewa Sangh (Dharavi People’s Help Group) told Anadolu Agency on phone.

Sheikh’s organization is working with migrant workers living in Dharavi, Asia’s largest slum in Mumbai.

Late on Tuesday, Mumbai Police detained a political activist Vinay Dubey, for posting a fake message on social media. He had uploaded a video on his social media account in which he had talked about travel arrangements for migrants, stranded due to the lockdown.

Meanwhile, a government-run civil hospital at Ahmedabad in the Western state of Gujarat has segregated patients as per their faith, reported the Indian Express newspaper.

“The hospital has set up different wards for its Hindu and Muslim patients and divided the total 186 patients into two wards each containing 40 Muslims and remaining Hindu patients,” claimed the newspaper.

As per the protocol, patients can be segregated based on the extent of their infection. Despite repeated attempts by the Anadolu Agency trying to contact the Hospital Medical Superintendent, Dr. Gunvant H Rathod, he remained unavailable for comment.