The Ministry of Home Affairs has released the guidelines for the fourth phase of unlocking on Saturday and allowed the social, academic, sports, entertainment, cultural, religious, political functions and other congregations with a ceiling of 100 persons from September 21 among other relaxations.

However, such limited gatherings can be held with the mandatory wearing of face masks, social distancing, provision for thermal scanning and hand wash or sanitizer, the guidelines said.

Open-air theatres will be permitted to open with effect from September 21.

Cinema halls, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres (excluding open air theatre) and similar places shall remain prohibited till September 30.

In the fourth phase of unlock, schools, colleges, educational and coaching institutions will continue to remain closed for students and regular class activity up to September 30, 2020. Online/distance learning shall continue to be permitted and shall be encouraged.

However, States/ UTs may permit up to 50 per cent of teaching and non-teaching staff to be called to the schools at a time for online teaching/ tele-counselling and related work.

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. This will be subject to written consent of their parents/ guardians.

Skill or Entrepreneurship training will be permitted in National Skill Training Institutes, Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), Short term training centres registered with National Skill Development Corporation or State Skill Development Missions or other Ministries of Government of India or State Governments.

National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE) and their training providers will also be permitted.

Higher Education Institutions only for research scholars (Ph.D.) and post-graduate students of technical and professional programmes requiring laboratory/ experimental works will be permitted by the Department of Higher Education (DHE) in consultation with MHA, based on the assessment of the situation, and keeping in view incidence of COVID-19 in the States/ UTs.

Lockdown shall continue to be implemented strictly in the Containment Zones till 30th September, 2020.

As per the guidelines, State/UT 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.

There shall be no restriction on inter-State and intra-State movement of persons and goods. No separate permission/ approval/ e-permit will be required for such movements.

Government has also permitted Metro services in a phased manner from September 7.

READ: Unlock 4.0: Metro services to resume in phased manner from September 7

India on Saturday crossed the 34 lakh-mark with a spike of 76,472 fresh Coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total tally to 34,63,973, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.

India is the third worst-hit at present, after the US and Brazil, has been reporting the highest number of daily Coronavirus cases in the world for the last three weeks. No other country has reported such continued surge since the pandemic surfaced in December 2019.