Coronavirus Lockdown 3.0: Know All About Additional Guidelines, Offenses and Penalties

With the extend of lockdown phase 3, the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued guidelines that have to be followed starting from May 4 to May 17. They also have made the Aarogya Setu App mandatory for people living in the coronavirus Containment Zones inside the 130 districts identified as the Red Zones. Besides zonal restriction, various additional limitations have to be followed during the third phase of lockdown while in public or workspace.

Public place:

• Wearing a face mask is compulsory in all public places
• All persons in charge of public places and transport shall ensure social distancing.
• No gathering of five or more persons to be permitted.
• Marriage related gathering shall ensure social distancing with a maximum of 50 guests.
• Funeral or last rites to be held with a maximum of 20 people while following social distancing norms.
• Spitting in public places is punishable by fine
• Consumption of liquor, paan, gutka, tobacco not allowed in public areas.
• Shops selling alcohol, paan, gutka, tobacco, etc. in public places will ensure a minimum six feet distance (2 gaz ki doori) from each other, and also that not more than five persons are present at one time at the shop.

WORKPLACES

• Wearing a face cover is compulsory, along with ensuring adequate availability of stock of such face cover in the workplace.
• All persons in charge of workplaces shall ensure social distancing both in company premises as well in transport as per the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family welfare.
• Social distancing at workplaces to be ensured through adequate gaps between shifts, staggering the lunch breaks of staff, etc.
• Provisions of thermal scanning, hand wash, and sanitizers to be made available with the touch-free mechanism at all entry and exit points and common areas in addition to adequate availability of hand wash and sanitizers in the workplace.
• Frequent sanitization of the entire workplace and common areas.
• Persons above the age of 65 years, persons with co-morbidities, pregnant women, and children below ten years to stay at home except for meeting essential requirements or health purposes.
• Use of the Arogya Setu app to be made mandatory for all employees (both public and private), to be ensured by the head of the respective organisation.
• Large physical meetings to be avoided.
• Arrangements for transport facilities to be provided with social distancing wherever personal/public transport is not feasible.
• Intensive communication on proper hygiene practices shall be taken up.
• A list of nearby dedicated COVID-19 hospitals/clinics to be made available at the workplace. Quarantine areas to be marked so that any employee showing symptoms of coronavirus can be quarantined before being hurried to the nearest health facility.

Offenses and penalties

The guidelines also highlight the offenses and penalties for violation of lockdown measures as per various Section of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

Upon conviction of any of the violation, the following punishment shall be granted to individuals:

Punishment for obstruction etc. – Obstruction of duty of any officers both Central and State will be punishable with imprisonment for one year or fine or both. In case of refusing to comply with the orders of any officers will result in loss of life or imminent danger thereof, punishable with imprisonment, which may extend to two years.

Punishment for false claim – Punishable with imprisonment, which may extend to two years, and also with fine.

Punishment for misappropriation of money of materials etc. – Punishable with imprisonment, which may extend to two years, and also with fine.

Punishment for false warning – Punishable with imprisonment, which may extend to one year, or with fine.