Lockdown Extended for Two weeks from 4th May.
New Guidelines on measures to be taken by the Indian government for COVID - 19 in the country for the extended period to national lockdown for a further period of two weeks with effect from 4th May 2020.
Identification of Red (Hotspots), Green and Orange Zones
Based on the Risk Profile green, red and orange zone will be as follows.
Green Zones: Green Zones shall be defined as per the following criteria: districts with zero confirmed case till date; or; districts with no confirmed case in the last 21 days.
Red Zones or Hotspot Districts: Districts shall be defined as Red Zones or Hotspot districts, by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India (Gol), taking into account total number of active cases, doubling the rate of confirmed cases, the extent of testing and surveillance feedback.
Orange Zones: Districts, which are neither defined as Red nor as Green Zones, shall be Orange Zones.
PUBLIC PLACES
1. Wearing of face cover is compulsory in all public places.
2. All persons in charge of public 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 5 or more persons.
4. Marriages related gatherings shall ensure social distancing, and the maximum number of guests allowed shall not be more than 50.
5. Funeral/ last rites related gatherings shall ensure social distancing, and the maximum numbers allowed shall not be more than 20.
6. Spitting in public places shall be punishable with fine, as may be prescribed by the State/ UT local authority.
7. Consumption of liquor, paan, gutka, tobacco etc. in public places is not allowed.
8. Shops selling liquor, paan, gutka, tobacco etc. will ensure minimum six feet distance (2 gaz ki doon) from each other, and also ensure that not more than 5 persons are present at one time at the shop.
WORK PLACES
9. Wearing of face cover is compulsory in all work places and adequate stock of such face covers shall be made available.
10. All persons in charge of work places shall ensure social distancing as per the guidelines issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, both within the work places and in company transport.
11. Social distancing at work places shall be ensured through adequate gaps between shifts, staggering the lunch breaks of staff, etc.
12. Provision for thermal scanning, hand wash and sanitizer preferably with touch free mechanism will be made at all entry and exit points and common areas. In addition, sufficient quantities of handwash and sanitizer shall be made available in the work places.
13. Frequent sanitization of entire workplace, common facilities and all points which come into human contact e.g. door handles etc., shall be ensured, including between shifts.
14. Persons above 65 years of age, persons with co-morbidities, pregnant women and children below the age of 10 years shall stay at home, except for meeting essential requirements and for health purposes.
15. Use of Arogya Setu app shall be made mandatory for all employees, both private and public. It shall be the responsibility of the Head of the respective Organizations to ensure 100% coverage of this app among the employees.
16. Large physical meetings to be avoided.
17. Hospitals/ clinics in the nearby areas, which are authorized to treat COVID-19 patients, should be identified and list should be available at work place all the times. Employees showing any symptom of COVID-19 should be immediately sent for check up to such facilities. Quarantine areas should be earmarked for isolating employees showing symptoms till they are safely moved to the medical facilities
18. Arrangements for transport facilities shall be ensured with social distancing, wherever personal! public transport is not feasible.
19. Intensive communication and training on good hygiene practices shall be taken up.
Offences and Penalties for Violation of Lockdown Measures
A. Section 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005
51. Punishment for obstruction, etc.-Whoever, without reasonable cause
(a) obstructs any officer or employee of the Central Government or the State Government, or a person authorised by the National Authority or State Authority or District Authority in the discharge of his functions under this Act; or
(b) refuses to comply with any direction given by or on behalf of the Central
Government or the State Government or the National Executive Committee or the State Executive Committee or the District Authority under this Act,
shall on conviction be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine, or with both, and if such obstruction or refusal to comply with directions results in loss of lives or imminent danger thereof, shall on conviction be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years.
52. Punishment for false claim.-Whoever knowingly makes a claim which he knows or has reason to believe to be false for obtaining any relief, assistance, repair, reconstruction or other benefits consequent to disaster from any officer of the Central Government, the State Government, the National Authority, the State Authority or the District Authority, shall, on conviction be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, and also with fine.
53. Punishment for misappropriation of money or materials, etc. Whoever, being entrusted with any money or materials, or otherwise being, in custody of, or dominion over, any money or goods, meant for providing relief in any threatening disaster situation or disaster, misappropriates or appropriates for his own use or disposes of such money or materials or any part thereof or wilfully compels any other person so to do, shall on conviction be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, and also with fine.
54. Punishment for false warning.-Whoever makes or circulates a false alarm or warning as to disaster or its severity or magnitude, leading to panic, shall on conviction, be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to one year or with fine.
55. Offences by Departments of the Government.-(1) Where an offence under this Act has been committed by any Department of the Government, the head of the Department shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly unless he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or that he exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of such offence.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), where an offence under this Act has been committed by a Department of the Government and it is proved that the offence has been committed with the consent or connivance of, or is attributable to any neglect on the part of, any officer, other than the head of the Department, such officer shall be deemed to
be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.
56. Failure of officer in duty or his connivance at the contravention of the provisions of this Act.-Any officer, on whom any duty has been imposed by or under this Act and who ceases or refuses to perform or withdraws himself from the duties of his office shall, unless he has obtained the express written permission of his official superior or has other lawful excuse for so doing, be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine.
57. Penalty for contravention of any order regarding requisitioning.-lf any person contravenes any order made under section 65, he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine or with both.
58. Offence by companies.-(1) Where an offence under this Act has been committed by a company or body corporate, every person who at the time the offence was committed, was in charge of, and was responsible to, the company, for the conduct of the business of the company, as well as the company, shall be deemed to be guilty of the contravention and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly:
Provided that nothing in this sub-section shall render any such person liable to any punishment provided in this Act, if he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or that he exercised due diligence to prevent the commission of such offence.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), where an offence under this Act has been committed by a company, and it is proved that the offence was committed with the consent or connivance of or is attributable to any neglect on the part of any director, manager, secretary or other officer of the company, such director, manager, secretary or other officer shall also, be deemed to be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.
Explanation.-For the purpose of this section-
i. "company" means any body corporate and includes a firm or other association of individuals; and
ii. "director", in relation to a firm, means a partner in the firm.
59. Previous sanction for prosecution.-No prosecution for offences punishable under sections 55 and 56 shall be instituted except with the previous sanction of the Central Government or the State Government, as the case may be, or of any officer authorised in this behalf, by general or special order, by such Government.
60. Cognizance of offences.-No court shall take cognizance of an offence under this Act except on a complaint made by-
(a) the National Authority, the State Authority, the Central Government, the State Government, the District Authority or any other authority or officer authorised in this behalf by that Authority or Government, as the case may be; or
(b) any person who has given notice of not less than thirty days in the manner prescribed, of the alleged offence and his intention to make a complaint to the National Authority, the State Authority, the Central Government, the State Government, the District Authority or any other authority or officer authorised as aforesaid.
B. Section 188 in the Indian Penal Code, 1860
188. Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant Whoever, knowing that, by an order promulgated by a public servant lawfully empowered to promulgate such order, he is directed to abstain from a certain act, or to take certain order with certain property in his possession or under his management, disobeys such direction, shall, if such disobedience causes or tends to cause obstruction, annoyance or injury, or risk of obstruction, annoyance or injury, to any person lawfully employed, be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month or with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees, or with both; and if such disobedience causes or trends to cause danger to human life, health or safety, or causes or tends to cause a riot or affray, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both.
Explanation.-lt is not necessary that the offender should intend to produce harm, or contemplate his disobedience as likely to produce harm. It is sufficient that he knows of the order which he disobeys, and that his disobedience produces, or is likely to produce, harm.
Illustration
An order is promulgated by a public servant lawfully empowered to promulgate such order, directing that a religious procession shall not pass down a certain street. A knowingly disobeys the order, and thereby causes danger of riot. A has committed the offence defined in this section.
News Source - https://www.mha.gov.in/
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