Unlock 4.0: J&K UT Govt issued revised guidelines

The Jammu and Kashmir Government today issued revised guidelines for Unlock 4.0 permitting 50 percent of teaching and non-teaching staff to attend schools from September 21 and students of Classes 9th to 12th to visit institutions on voluntary basis for guidance from teachers but barred Deputy Commissioners and subordinate Magistrates from imposing any local lockdown outside notified Containment Zones.

The Unlock 4.0 guidelines which will remain in force till further orders were issued tonight by Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam.

The Government has allowed 100 spectators in the stadiums and sports complexes from September 21. The ceiling of 50 persons for marriage related functions and 20 persons for funeral/last rites related rituals has been raised to 100 from September 21. The marriage functions will require permission in Red districts.

While keeping all schools, colleges, educational and coaching institutions including Anganwadi Centres closed, the Government ordered that 50 percent of teaching and non-teaching staff shall be permitted to be called to schools for Online teaching/tele-counseling and related work in areas outside Containment Zones only with effect from September 21.

“Students from Class 9th to 12th are permitted to visit their schools in areas outside the Containment Zones only on voluntary basis for taking guidance from their teachers from September 21. However, this arrangement will be permitted subject to written consent of parents/guardians of the students,” the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Unlock 4.0 said.

The Higher Education Institutions have been permitted for Research Scholars (Ph. D) and Post Graduate (PG) students of technical and professional programmes requiring lab/experimental works. The Skill or Entrepreneurship training has also been permitted in National Skill Training Institutes, ITIs etc from September 21.

While cinema halls, swimming pools, entertainment parks, Spas, theatres, bars, auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places will remain closed, open air theatres have been permitted to operate from September 21.

However, religious processions and large religious gatherings will remain strictly prohibited, the Government order said.

“No Deputy Commissioner or any subordinate Magistrate shall impose any local lockdown outside notified Containment Zones without prior consultations with the State Executive Committee, which shall, if required, convey the decision only after consulting the Union Ministry of Home Affairs,” the order said.

Asserting that there shall be no restrictions on entry of passengers, returnees or travelers coming to Jammu and Kashmir by road, rail or air, the Government said, the travelers will have to compulsorily undergo COVID-19 antigen test as per the J&K Government protocol following which air/rail travelers will undergo 14-day home quarantine while road travelers will undergo 14-day administrative/institutional quarantine till they report negative for the virus.

Prior to the Unlock 4 guidelines, the Government kept all districts of Kashmir province except Bandipora in Red Zone category. Ramban district of Jammu province also stayed in Red Zone.

Kathua, Samba, Bandipora, Reasi, Udhampur, Poonch, Rajouri and Jammu have been designated as Orange districts while Doda and Kishtwar districts remained in Green Zone. Lakhanpur Containment Zone on the National Highway in Kathua district will remain Red Zone.