Maha to ease Covid curbs from June 7 as per positivity rate

The Maharashtra government has announced a five-level plan to relax the coronavirus-induced restrictions in the state, based on the weekly positivity rate and the occupancy of oxygen beds.

A notification to this effect was issued late on Friday night.

The order will come into effect from June 7 based on the positivity rate and the oxygen bed occupancy level of June 3, it said.

The lockdown-like restrictions in the state were imposed in April this year when the second wave of the pandemic intensified.

Under the notification, each municipal area and district has been treated as separate administrative unit.

In the first category, cities and districts, which have a positivity rate of five per cent and the oxygen bed occupancy of less than 25 per cent, will open up completely with regular timings of essential and non-essential shops,

malls, theatres, auditoriums, restaurants, private offices, public places, sports establishments. Film shootings, social and political gatherings can resume at such places.

Manufacturing, agriculture and economic activities will be allowed.

There will be no curfew or prohibitory orders and no e-pass will be required unless the travel is to cities or districts which come under the fifth category (where the positivity rate is more than 20 per cent and the oxygen bed capacity is more than 75 per cent).

In the second category, cities and districts where the positivity rate is five per cent and oxygen bed occupancy is 25 to 40 per cent, essential and non-essential shops will be allowed to open as per the regular timings, but malls, theatres, multiplexes, auditoriums and restaurants will function at 50 per cent capacity, it said.

There will be a restricted entry in local trains and it will be allowed for those working in medical and essential services only.

Public places and private offices can be opened.

Social and political gatherings will be allowed with 50 per cent capacity. Curfew orders will remain in place.

Gyms, salons, beauty centres can open with 50 per cent capacity.

Easing of curbs under the third category will be applicable for the places where the positivity rate is five per cent to 10 per cent and the oxygen bed occupancy is more than 40 per cent.

At such places, essential shops can remain open till 4 pm, while non-essential shops can remain open till 4 pm only on weekdays.

Malls and multiplexes will remain shut and restaurants can open with 50 per cent capacity till 4 pm on weekdays.

The facility of parcel, takeaway and home delivery of food will continue. Local trains will be restricted for medical and essential staff.

Offices can operate with 50 per cent staff.

Film and TV shootings will take place in bio-bubble with no movement outside after 5 pm.

Only 50 persons can attend a marriage ceremony, while only 20 people can attend a funeral.

Social and political gatherings will be conducted with 50 per cent capacity.

The fourth category is for the places where the positivity rate is 10 to 20 per cent and oxygen bed occupancy is more than 60 per cent.

Essential shops there will be open till 4 pm.

Only food parcels and takeaways will be allowed and local trains will be restricted for medical and few essential staff only.

Public places will be opened, but they will be shut on the weekends.

In the fifth category, where the positivity rate is more than 20 per cent and the oxygen bed capacity is more than 75 per cent, only essential shops will remain open till 4 pm and the office attendance will be 15 per cent.

The notification said that every Thursday, the state public health department will declare the number of oxygen beds and the positivity rate, based on which the disaster management authority will decide the level of an administrative unit.