Venturing Out? Don't forget to carry your ID card

Mumbai police have appealed to the citizens to carry their ID's and relevant documents when venturing out. In a tweet, Mumbai police said people that they should shop closer to home and within the timespan of 5 am to 9 pm. Furthermore, they reminded people to carry their office ID and other relevant documents if in case they have stepped out for work. 

Maharashtra is currently in the lockdown which will remain in effect till July 31. This phase is referred to as Unlock 2.0, or Mission Begin Again. Given the increasing number of cases in the state, the state insists that people should avoid all non-essential travel.  

Mumbaikars Unite Against COVID-19
-Do permitted shopping closer to home(5am-9pm)
-Don’t forget office ID/documents if travelling for permitted work
-Embrace safety,avoid crowding u/s 144
-Night curfew(9pm-5am) with exceptions for emergency/medical services & supplies#SafetyFirst https://t.co/AhHcD1UoyU

— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) July 2, 2020

To curb needless travel during the lockdown, the police had previously imposed the 2 km rule. As per this rule, people who were travelling beyond 2kms of their house for non-essential work were fined and even vehicles of some people were impounded. However, this rule was later lifted.

On June 30 Mumbai Police along with the government has decided to impose a curfew to contain the spread of coronavirus. This curfew was imposed from midnight of July 1 and will remain in effect till July 15. In addition between the time span of 9 PM and 5 AM, only emergency services will be allowed.

The information was given through a circular issued by the Mumbai Police Commissionerate. The circular said, "All movements of one or more persons in the areas designated as containment zone by the municipal authorities is prohibited, except for essential goods and medical emergencies."

"All movements of one or more persons in the city is prohibited between 2100 hours and 0500 hours, except for medical emergencies and exempted entities," it added.

The Mumbai police also further stated that their guidelines were an appeal, not an order and that such harsh appeals were only made to stop the spread of the deadly virus. This came after the NCP and the Congress disagreed with CM Uddhav Thackrey regarding imposing such a rule on the citizens of Mumbai. 

With the relaxation of the lockdown rules, the number of people visiting public places has significantly increased. Hotels in Maharashtra have also been allowed to operate from July 8 with 33 per cent guest limit.