Gyms, salons, restaurants, private offices will be allowed to reopen at 50 per cent capacity and function till 4 pm in Mumbai starting June 7. Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai's commissioner Iqbal Chahal confirmed to BOOM that the island city falls under level 3 of the five-level "Mission Begin Again" notification issued by the Maharashtra government late Friday night.
This five-level reopening will be carried out on the basis of the district's COVID-19 case positivity rate as well as the rate of the total oxygen beds occupied by patients. In level 1, the case positivity rate should be less than 5% and the oxygen bed occupancy rate should be less than 25 per cent. Level 2 witnesses a case positivity rate of less than 5 per cent but the oxygen bed occupancy rate is between 25-40 per cent.
In level 3, which Mumbai falls in, the case positivity rate ranges between 5 per cent to 10 per cent or the bed occupancy rate is over 60 per cent. Maharashtra's public health department will be sharing weekly updates on the positivity and occupancy rates of each district. Mumbai currently has a positivity rate of 5.56 per cent and its oxygen bed occupancy rate stands at around 32 per cent.
Districts classified under level 4 will have a positivity rate between 10-20 per cent or an oxygen bed occupancy rate that is more than 60 per cent. Finally, districts classified as level 5 will have a positivity rate greater than 20 per cent or their oxygen bed occupancy rate will be greater than 75 per cent.
Furthermore, the state government has added another caveat pertaining to oxygen beds. If the total number of oxygen beds occupied in the state cross 45,000 with an upsurge in the demand for oxygen beds or cross 50,000 with no specific trend, the state will entirely be under level 4. Similarly, if the number of occupied beds ranges between 35,000 to 45,000 with an increase in oxygen bed occupancy rate or 45,000 to 50,000 with decrease in the need of oxygen, the entire state will be at level 3.
What Will Reopen Across Each Level
Level 1
Areas falling under level 1 will see unrestricted access to major services with only regular control including physical distancing and wearing of masks. The district officials will ensure that there are no super spreader events that could lead to a mass outbreak in the district.
Essential and non-essential shops, malls, theatres, gyms, salons, restaurants, public spaces, local trains, private offices, marriages, shooting, sport activities, social gatherings, agriculture, manufacturing will be allowed to function as they used to in pre-pandemic times.
Level 2
While both essential and non-essential shops as well as private offices will be allowed to function across all business hours in these areas, other restrictions on public spaces will only be mildly relaxed in these districts. Malls, theatres, restaurants, gatherings, will only be allowed to function at 50 per cent capacity. Salons and gyms functioning at 50 per cent capacity will require prior appointment
Close to 100 people will be allowed at weddings while construction and shooting of shows will be allowed to function as pre-lockdown times.
Level 3
Offices and shops will be allowed to stay open till 4 pm and local train travel will be extended to women along with the people who are currently allowed to travel. Both government and private offices will only see 50 per cent of their staff attending office.
Restaurants can permit patrons to dine in at 50% capacity only till 4 pm on weekdays. On weekends, they will continue to deliver parcels. Similarly, gyms and salons functioning at 50 per cent capacity will require prior appointments and only allowed to stay open till 4 pm.
People wishing to play sports or go outdoors can do so between 5 am-9 am. Sporting activities can also be done post 6pm in level 3 areas. Movie and tv series shootings that were stalled can be undertaken under isolation bubbles and only up to 5pm. Marriages can be performed with 50 guests. Public transport can be utilised by all citizens but none of them will allow people to stand.
While manufacturing units of essential services can continue to operate regularly, units of non-essential activities can function with only 50 per cent staff and the manufacturers will have to ensure that there is a transport bubble in place for the employees.
Level 4
Areas in level 4 will only allow private offices falling in the exempt category such as courts, banks, pharmaceutical companies to reopen from June 7 and allowed to function at 25 per cent capacity. Only shops selling essential goods will be allowed to function till 4pm.
Public spaces will be open from 5am- 9am only on weekdays while marriages will only allow 25 guests. Sports and shooting would be further restricted for weekends. All manufacturing units will function with 50 per cent staff.
Malls, gyms, salons will continue to remain shut.
Level 5
Districts falling under level 5 will have most services curtailed and essential service shops will only be open till 4pm on weekdays. Offices will function with only 15 per cent staff in attendance and marriages will have only close family members. Every other activity will be closed and hotels will not allow take away but only home delivery. E-commerce sites will only deliver essential goods.