Today, two important notifications have been released by the Central Government, regarding the steps that would be taken after the second phase of the lockdown concludes on May 3rd. While one notification is regarding the extension of the lockdown itself, the other is regarding the classification of the entire country into Red, Green, and Orange Zones.
Lockdown Extension
Ministry of Home Affairs has released a statement extending the lockdown in the country until May 17th. In essence, the lockdown has been extended for two more weeks in the country.
Difference between Red and Green Zone
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released a notification regarding the classification of the country into Red, Green, and Orange Zones. While 130 Red Zones have been identified in the country, 284 districts have been demarcated in Orange Zone and 319 districts in Green Zones.
If a district does not have a positive case of COVID-19 in the last 21 days, it will be considered as a Green Zone. On the other hand, authorities decide if a district belongs to Red Zone based on multiple factors such as the number of cases, the extent of testing, doubling rate, and surveillance feedback. If a district does not fall in either of these zones, it will be considered as a Orange Zone.
If a district consists of more than one municipal corporation and if a few wards do not have cases in the past 21 days, those wards can be considered one level lower in the lower zonal classification.
Source: Times of India
