AP LockDown#2 Extension of Lockdown till 3rd May 2020 Comprehensive Guidelines. HM&FW Department– Containment, Control and Prevention of COVID - 19 – Extension of “LOCKDOWN” till 3rd May, 2020 in the State of Andhra Pradesh under Disaster Management Act, 2005 – Orders - Issued. HEALTH, MEDICAL AND FAMILY WELFARE (B2) DEPARTMENT G.O.Rt.No.238 Dated:14.04.2020. Offices to be closed during Extended Lockdown Period, Exemptions in 2nd Lock Down period.
AP LockDown#2 Extension of Lockdown till 3rd May 2020 Comprehensive Guidelines
Read the following:
- 1) MHA, GoI Order No.40-3/2020-DM-I(A), Dt. 24.3.2020.
- 2) G.O.Rt.No. 216, HM&FW (B2) Deptt., Dt. 24.03.2020.
- 3) MHA, GoI Order No. 40-3/2020-DM-I(A), Dt. 25.03.2020.
- 4) MHA, GoI Order No. 40-3/2020-DM-I(A), Dt. 27.03.2020.
- 5) G.O.Rt.No. 221, HM&FW (B2) Dept., Dt. 29.03.2020.
- 6) MHA, GoI Order No. 40-3/2020-DM-I(A), Dt. 02.04.2020.
- 7) MHA, GoI Order No. 40-3/2020-DM-I(A), Dt. 03.04.2020.
- 8) MHA, GoI Order No. 40-3/2020-DM-I(A), Dt. 10.04.2020.
- 9) MHA, GoI Order No. 40-3/2020-DM-l(A) Dt. 14.04.2020.
ORDER:
- In the G.Os 2nd and 5th read above, the Government of Andhra Pradesh have directed District Collectors, Joint Collectors, Police Commissioners, SPs, DM&HOs, Municipal Commissioners, Sub-Collectors, RDOs, MROs and MPDOs to take effective measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the State.
- 2. In the references 1st,, 3rd , 4th , 6th, 7th and 8th read above, the Ministry of Home Affairs, GOI have issued various orders and addendums along with consolidated Guidelines to implement “Lockdown” measures, to contain spread of COVID-19 for a period of 21 days with effect from 25.03.2020.
- 3. Whereas, the Ministry of Home Affairs, GOI in its Order vide reference 9th read above has issued directions to all the Ministries/Departments of Government of India, State/Union Territory Governments and State/Union Territory Authorities that the “Lockdown” measures stipulated in aforesaid consolidated Guidelines of MHA for containment of COVID-19 epidemic in the Country, will continue to remain inforce upto 03.05.2020 to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the Country.
- 4. Therefore, all the District Collectors, Joint Collectors, Police Commissioners, Superintendents of Police, DM&HOs, Municipal Commissioners, Sub-Collectors, RDOs, MROs and MPDOs are hereby instructed to strictly implement the Order mentioned vide reference 9th read above in accordance with the Guidelines Annexed to this G.O. For implementing the containment measures, the District Magistrate will deploy Executive Magistrates as Incident Commanders as specified in the Annexure.
- 5. The Order mentioned vide reference 9th read above shall be implemented along with various orders issued from time to time by the State Government for “Lockdown” in the State for containing the spread of COVID-19.
ANNEXURE TO G.O.Rt. No. 238, HM&FW(B2) Department, Dt.14.04.2020
Consolidated Guidelines on the measures to be taken by Ministries/ Departments of Government of India, State/Union Territory Governments and State/ Union Territory Authorities for containment of COVID-19
Epidemic in the Country, as Notified by Ministry of Home Affairs Order No. 40-3/2020-DM-I(A), dated 24.03.2020 and further modified on 25.03.2020, 27.03.2020, 02.04.2020, 03.04.2020 and 10.04.2020.
1. Offices of the Government of India, its Autonomous/ Subordinate Offices and Public Corporations shall remain closed. Exceptions:
- a) Defence, central armed police forces.
- b) Treasury (including, Pay & Accounts Offices, Financial Advisers and field offices of the Controller General of Accounts, with bare minimum staff),
- c) Public utilities (including petroleum, CNG, LPG, PNG), power generation and transmission units, post offices.
- d) Disaster management and Early Warning Agencies e) National Informatics Centre.
- f) Customs clearance at ports/airports/land border, GSTN; and MCA 21 Registry with bare minimum staff.
- g) Reserve Bank of India and RBI regulated financial markets and entities like NPCI, CCIL, payment system operators and standalone primary dealers with bare minimum staff.
2. Offices of the State/ Union Territory Governments, their Autonomous Bodies, Corporations, etc. shad remain closed. Exceptions:
- a) Police, home guards, civil defence, fire and emergency services, disaster management, and prisons.
- b) District administration and Treasury (including field offices of the Accountant General with bare minimum staff)
- c) Electricity, water, sanitation.
- d) Municipal bodies- Only staff required for essential services like sanitation, personnel related to water supply etc.
- e) Resident Commissioner of States, in New Delhi with bare minimum staff, for coordinating Covid-19 related activities and internal kitchens operations.
- f) Forest offices: Staff/ workers required to operate and maintain zoo, nurseries, wildlife, fire fighting in forests, watering plantations, patrolling and their necessary transport movement.
- g) Social Welfare Department, with bare minimum staff, for operations of Homes for children/ disables/ senior citizens/ destitute/ women /widows; Observation homes; pensions.
- h) Agencies engaged in procurement of agriculture products, including MSP operations.
- i) `Mandis' operated by the Agriculture Produce Market Committee or as notified by the State Government.
The above offices (SI. No 1 & 2) should work with minimum number of employees. All other offices may continue to work-from-home only.
3. Hospitals, Veterinary Hospitals and all related medical establishments, including their manufacturing and distribution units, both in public and private sector, such as dispensaries, chemist, Pharmacies (including Jan Aushadhi Kendra) and medical equipment shops, laboratories, Pharmaceutical research labs, clinics, nursing homes, ambulance etc. will continue to remain functional. The transportation for all medical personnel, nurses, para-medical staff, other hospital support services be permitted.
4. Commercial and private establishments shall be closed down. Exceptions:
- a) Shops, including ration shops (under PDS), dealing with food, groceries, fruits and vegetables, dairy and milk booths, meat and fish, animal fodder, fertilizers, seeds and pesticides. However, district authorities may encourage and facilitate home delivery to minimize the movement of individuals outside their homes.
- b) Banks, insurance offices, and ATMs including IT vendors for banking operations; Banking Correspondent and ATM operation and cash management agencies.
- c) Print and electronic media.
- d) Telecommunications, internet services, broadcasting and cable services. IT and IT enabled Services only (for essential services) and as far as possible to work from home.
- e) Delivery of all essential goods including food, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment through E-commerce.
- f) Petrol pumps, LPG, Petroleum and gas retail and storage outlets.
- g) Power generation, transmission and distribution units and services.
- h) Capital and debt market services as notified by the Securities and Exchange Board of India.
- i) Cold storage and warehousing services. j) Private security services.
- k) Data and call centers for Government activities only.
- l) Farming operations by farmers and farm workers in the field. m) 'Custom Hiring Centres (CHC)' related to farm machinery.
- n) Shops of agriculture machinery, its spare parts (including its supply chain) and repairs to remain open.
- o) Shops for truck repairs on highways, preferably at fuel pumps.
- p) Operations of the fishing (marine)/aquaculture industry, including feeding & maintenance; hatcheries, feed plants, commercial aquaria, movement of fish/shrimp and fish products, fish seed/feed and workers for all these activities.
- All other establishments may work-from-home only.
5. Industrial Establishments will remain closed. Exceptions:
- a) Manufacturing units of essential goods, including drugs, pharmaceutical, medical devices, their raw materials & intermediates
- b) Production units, which require continuous permission from the State Government.
- c) Coal and mineral production, transport pharmaceutical, after obtaining required supply of explosives and activities incidental to mining operations.
- d) Manufacturing units of packaging material for food items, drugs, pharmaceutical and medical devices.
- e) Manufacturing and packaging units of Fertilizers, Pesticides and Seeds. f) Tea industry, including plantation with maximum of 50% workers.
6. All transport services — Air, Rail, Roadways — will remain suspended.Exceptions:
- a) Transportation for essential goods only.
- b) Fire, law and order and emergency services.
- c) Operations of Railways, Airports and Seaports for cargo movement, relief and evacuation and their related operational organisations.
- d) Inter-state movement of goods/ cargo for inland and exports.
- e) Cross land border movement of essential goods including petroleum products and LPG, food products, medical supplies.
- f) Intra and inter-state movement of harvesting and sowing related machines like combined harvester and other agriculture/horticulture implements.
- g) Transit arrangements for foreign national(s) in India. (as per attached SOP)
7. Hospitality Services to remain suspended Exceptions:
- a) Hotels, home stays, lodges and motels, which are accommodating tourists and persons stranded due to lockdown, medical and emergency staff, air and sea crew.
- b) Establishments used/ earmarked for quarantine facilities.
8. All Educational, Training, Research, Coaching Institutions etc. shall remain closed.
9. All places of worship shall be closed for public. No religious congregations will be permitted, without any exception.
10. All social/ political/ sports/ entertainment/ academic/ cultural/ religious functions / gatherings shall be barred.
11. In case of funerals, congregation of not more than twenty persons will be permitted.
12. All persons who have arrived into India after 15.02.2020 and all such persons who have been directed by health care personnel to remain under strict home / institutional quarantine for a period as decided by local Health Authorities, failing which they will be liable to legal action under Sec. 188 of the IPC.
Exceptions:
- a) Release of quarantined persons, who have arrived in India after 15.2.2020, after expiry of their quarantine period and being tested Covid- 19 negative (as per attached SOP).
13. Wherever exceptions to above containment measures have been allowed, the organisations/employers must ensure necessary precautions against COV1D-19 virus, as well as social distance measures, as advised by the Health Department from time to time.
14. In order to implement these containment measures, the District Magistrate will deploy Executive Magistrates as Incident Commanders in the respective local jurisdictions. The Incident Commander will be responsible for the overall implementation of these measures in their respective jurisdictions. All other line department officials in the specified area will work under the directions of such incident commander. The Incident Commander will issue passes for enabling essential movements as explained.
15. All enforcing authorities to note that these strict restrictions fundamentally relate to movement of people, but not to that of essential goods.
16. The Incident Commanders will in particular ensure that all efforts for mobilization of resources, workers and material for augmentation and expansion of hospital infrastructure shall continue without any hindrance.
17. Any person violating these containment measures will be liable to be proceeded against as per the provisions of Section 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, besides legal action under Sec. 188 of the IPC.
Note: As specified in the lockdown measures, social distancing and proper hygiene practices must be ensured in each of the above activities. It will be the responsibility of the head of the organisation/establishment to ensure compliance of such norms. The district authorities will ensure strict enforcement.
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE (SOP) FOR TRANSIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR FOREIGN NATIONALS STRANDED IN INDIA
Sub-Clause (g) in exception to Clause 6 It has been brought to the notice of this Ministry that a number of foreign nationals are stranded in different parts of the country, due to the lockdown measures. Some foreign countries have approached Government of India for evacuation of their nationals to their countries.
- 2. In view of the above, it has now been decided that requests received from foreign governments, for evacuation of their nationals from India, would be examined by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India on case to case basis. In cases where such requests are endorsed by MEA, the following protocol would be observed:
- i) The chartered flight would be arranged by the concerned foreign government in consultation with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India.
- ii) Prior to departure, the foreign national(s) would be screened for COVID-19 symptoms as per the standard health protocol. Only those foreign national(s) would be allowed to leave, who are asymptomatic for COVID-19. In case of symptomatic person(s), the future course of treatment would be followed, as per the standard health protocol.
- iii) The local transportation arrangements from the place of stay of the foreign national(s) to the point of embarkation would be arranged by the local Embassy/Consulate of the respective foreign government.
- iv) The transit pass for movement of the vehicle deployed for movement of the foreign national(s) would be issued by the Government of the State/Union Territory where the foreign national(s) is/are staying.
- v) The transit pass, as issued above, would be honoured/ allowed by the authorities of the State/Union Territories along the transit route.
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR RELEASE OF QUARANTINED PERSONS, AFTER EXPIRY OF QUARANTINE PERIOD AND TESTED COVID-19
NEGATIVE Sub-Clause (A) in exception to Clause 12
With a view to preventing spread of COVID-19 and as a measure of abundant precaution, persons returning from foreign locations after 15.2.2020 had been quarantined in government/government-arranged facilities. In respect of these persons, the following protocol would be observed after completion of the specified mandatory quarantine period:
- i) Person(s) testing negative for COVID-19, and as per standard health protocol, would be released from the said quarantine facility(ies). However, this will not apply to a group, where even one person tests positive for COVID-19.
- ii) These persons are expected to return to their homes, or to the homes of their families/relatives/friends or to other places of shelter like hotels, etc., by making their own transport arrangements.
- iii) The transit pass for movement of vehicle(s), being used by such person(s), would be issued by the Government of the State/Union Territory where they have been quarantined.
- iv) The transit pass will be issued for fixed route and with specified validity and such person(s) shall follow the same.
- v) The transit pass, as issued above, would be honoured/ allowed by the authorities of the State/Union Territories along the transit route.
- vi) As a measure of abundant caution, upon returning to their destination such persons would home quarantine themselves for a further period of 14 days as per standard protocol on the matter.
- vii) Details of person(s) released from quarantine, along with their destination, will be shared with the concerned State/UT Government for necessary follow up.
OFFENCES AND PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION OF LOCKDOWN MEASURE.
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 willfully 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.— If 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, 25 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— (a) "company" means anybody corporate and includes a firm or other association of individuals; and (b) "director", in relation to a firm, means a partner in the firm.
59. Previous sanction for prosecution.—No prosecution for offence 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 maybe, 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.
- 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.—it 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.
