On track back home: On an Ahmedabad-Agra special train on Saturday. (Express photo by Javed Raja)

Chandigarh to lift curfew

The Union Territory of Chandigarh has decided to open up the city, barring containment zones, beginning May 4, when curfew will be lifted. But restrictions will continue till May 17. All sector markets can function from 7 am to 7 pm following the odd-even formula. Liquor shops in the markets will also be allowed to open. Residents will be allowed to use their vehicles without passes, with a driver and two passengers, from 7 am to 7 pm. No pillion rider will be allowed on two-wheelers. The odd-even formula will apply for vehicles.

Mumbai, Pune to remain shut

Shops, offices, and industries will continue to remain shut in Mumbai and Pune. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has decided to restrict activities permitted in four of the 14 “red” districts of Maharashtra. These include Mumbai, Mumbai (suburbs), Thane and Pune. Additionally, a total lockdown will prevail in Malegaon. On Friday, the Centre had announced that all standalone shops, neighbouring (colony) shops and shops in residential complexes will be permitted to remain open in areas outside containment zones, red zone or hotspot districts on certain conditions. But Maharashtra decided not to extend this exemption to shops located in the area of all municipal corporations within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the Pune Municipal Corporation, the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, and the Malegaon Municipal Corporation, which collectively account for 91 percent of cases in the state. While liquor shops will be permitted to open in other regions, they won’t be permitted in these areas, officials said. Several categories of industrial units and their supply chains, also have been disallowed. But developers in Mumbai and Pune will be allowed to continue construction of ongoing projects. Also, only those projects where workers are available on site will be permitted.

Assam opens borders

The Assam government will open borders with other Northeastern states, excluding Sikkim, from Sunday to allow stranded residents to return. The returnees will be screened, and quarantined if required. Authorities urged those who do not have an immediate reason to return to the state to stay put where they are. The persons who do not return – or find it difficult to return due to logistical problems – would be given a financial assistance of Rs 2000 per month. On Saturday, the government also allowed reopening of liquor outlets across the state with immediate effect.

Kerala for Sunday shutdown

In the third stage, Kerala will go for a complete shutdown on Sundays in all three zones. Shops, offices or vehicles will not be allowed on Sunday. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said public transport would not be allowed even though the Centre has allowed it with 50 percent passenger capacity. Liquor shops will not be allowed in any zone. In green and orange zones, small textile shops will be allowed to open with less than 5 staff members.

Tamil Nadu to ease restrictions

The government eased restrictions in non-containment areas and allowed resumption of construction activity, road works, opening of Special Economic Zones, among others, from May 4. Relaxed norms announced for Chennai city, except containment zones, include permission for construction work if workers live on the premises, all construction and road-laying work in public sector, operation of SEZs, export-oriented units and export processing zones with 25% staff, IT and IT-enabled services with 10% staff if companies provide transportation for workers.

Also allowed are shops selling essentials between 6 am to 5 pm, e-commerce firms delivering essentials and operations of restaurants between 6 am to 9 pm only for takeaways. In other parts of the state, industries outside urban limits are allowed to function with 50% staff strength. However, textile factories in industrial estates in urban areas are not allowed to start operations.