UP govt will implement unlock 5 guidelines issued by MHA | Schools to open in a graded manner
The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday decided to implement the unlock 5 guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). According to the unlock 5 guidelines, several sectors have been permitted to open up, except in containment zones which will remain under lockdown. The Schools and Coaching Institutes in the state will be allowed to function from October 15 in a graded manner. However, e-learning will still be the preferred means of education, and students will be allowed to take offline classes with parents' consent.
The UP government has encouraged the use of masks and other facial covers to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the state. The social distancing norms and work from home are also encouraged by the state government. According to the provisions of section 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act and section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), legal action can be taken against the persons violating the containment measures.
The UP at present has around 50,883 active COVID-19 cases while 3,24,415 patients have been recovered and discharged. The UP has reported 5784 deaths due to the outbreak of the highly contagious virus.
Permitted activities in Unlock 5:
All activities already allowed as per earlier orders
Cinemas/theatres/multiplexes with up to 50% of their seating capacity from October 15;
Business to Business (B2B) Exhibitions from October 15;
Swimming pools being used for training of sportspersons from October 15;
Entertainment parks and other such places from October 15;
Schools and coaching institutes after October 15;
Higher Education Institutions only for research scholars and post-graduate students in science and technology stream requiring laboratory/ experimental works from October 15;
A maximum of 200 persons is permitted to attend congregations in closed spaces. In open spaces, more people can be allowed as per the size of the space
Restricted activities in unlock 5:
International air travel of passengers, except as permitted by MHA
COVID-19 pandemic situation in India:
India currently has 9,40,705 active COVID-19 cases, while recoveries stand at 52,73,201 cases. 98,678 deaths have been reported so far in the country due to the outbreak of novel coronavirus. 85,376 recovery cases have been reported in the last 24 hours, taking the recovery rate of India to 83.53%.
77% of the total recovered cases are from Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, and Telangana. Whereas, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana account for 76% of the total active cases in the country.
While India's recovery rate in containing the COVID-19 has been commendable, it is still far from achieving herd immunity due to the high population. Precautions are the best way forward for India as new cases are soaring. Apart from being permitted to open up schools in a graded manner, it has to be seen if parents will allow their children to attend classes physically in the pandemic or not. There's no doubt that precautions are the only way of containing the outbreak of the COVID-19.
