(Image source from: Indiatoday.com)

With the imminent festive season, Unlock 5.0 is likely to have more relaxations to the public.

The fourth phase of Unlock will end on September 30 and the government will announce the Unlock 5.0 rules with likely more relaxations and fewer restrictions.

Unlock 5.0 is scheduled to begin from October 1, 2020.

While the central government is yet to announce the Unlock 5.0 guidelines, there are already speculations that there will more relaxations and would open up more activities for the public this time as the festive season is also approaching.

Prime minister Narendra Modi in a meeting spoke to the Chief Ministers of 7 worst-affected states due to COVID-19 and urged them to implement the idea of ‘micro containment zones’.

The PM also advised these states to not impose lockdowns and curfews for one or two days a week.

Here is what is expected in the country with the onset of Unlock 5.0:

Economic Activities:

With Unlock 4.0, the central government has already allowed gyms, yoga institutes, salons to resume their services and with the Unlock 5.0, it is expected that more economic activities would be given a green signal with social distancing norms in place.

In addition to this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged the states to reassess the containment zones to ensure there is no COVID-19 spread.

Cinema Halls

Rumors have been doing rounds that the cinema theatres will be allowed to resume their operations from October.

Recently, Information and Broadcasting ministry’s secretary, Amit Khare had announced a sitting arrangement idea to be followed by the theatres in all states.

Moreover, West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee said that the theatres can be allowed to operate from October 1 in the state with 50 percent seating capacity.

Tourism

Tourism is arguably the worst-hit sector right from the start of the pandemic. However, there’s a ray of hope for this sector as it may witness the recovery with the opening of tourist destinations.

Earlier this month, Uttarakhand became the first state in India to welcome tourists without any quarantine rules in place.

Academics

With the imposing of Unlock 4.0, several schools for the classes 9 to 12 have reopened in the country and the same is likely to be continued in the next month.

However, the reports say that the primary classes would remain non-operational for a few more months.

Coming to colleges and Universities, several of them have already started taking admission tests and would start conducting the new academic season through online classes.

- By Gayatri Yellayi