Unlock 4 has put the onus on parents of pupils from Classes 9 to 12 to decide if they want to send their children to school outside Covid containment zones from September 21 to seek guidance from teachers.

The new guidelines issued by the Union home ministry say the states should not impose any local lockdowns outside containment zones without consulting the Centre. This condition will necessitate clarity on the staggered total lockdowns in Bengal.

Metro trains can operate in a graded manner from September 7. (See chart above)

Unlike Unlock 3, the guidelines for Unlock 4 have dropped bars from the prohibited list, which has been interpreted by a section of the hospitality industry as a nod to serve liquor.

On schools, the new guidelines say: “Students of classes 9 to 12 may be permitted to visit their schools, in areas outside the containment zones only, on voluntary basis, for taking guidance from their teachers (from September 21). This will be subject to written consent of their parents/ guardians.”

Lockdowns outside containment zones have been tied to “prior consultations” with the Centre. “State/Union Territory governments shall not impose any local lockdown (state/ district/ sub-division/ city/ village level) outside the containment zones without prior consultation with the central government,” the guidelines say.

Bengal has been observing occasional total lockdowns across the state. The next total lockdown is scheduled on Monday, and three more are lined up in the first half of September.

The new guidelines do not refer to bars. The guidelines for the previous round, Unlock 3, had said: “All activities, except the following, shall be permitted outside containment zones” and specifically mentioned bars, Metro trains and congregations besides facilities such as cinemas and swimming pools.

The Unlock 4 guidelines have specifically exempted the Metro and congregations from the prohibited list. But the guidelines do not mention bars in the list of activities not permitted even outside containment zones.

“All activities, except the following, shall be permitted outside containment zones,” Saturday’s guidelines say and list “cinema halls, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres (excluding open-air theatre) and similar places”.

A reference to bars either way would have cleared the confusion. Bengal excise officials said they were “evaluating” the guidelines and waiting for clear instructions from the state government.

Bars in the state have been told to keep 15 days’ stock, the officials added.

Metro officials in Calcutta said their “infrastructure is ready”. “We will have to depend on the state government for crowd control,” a Metro official said.

The Union housing and urban affairs ministry has called a meeting of all managing directors of Metro rail corporations on September 1 to finalise the standard operating procedures.