Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Thursday announced a five-level unlocking in which the reopening process will begin in the state from June 4. The extent of unlocking will vary from district to district ranging from level 1 to level 5  level 1 being the one allowing maximum relaxations. The five-level unlocking plan has been prepared to take into account the Covid-19 positivity rate, the medical infrastructure of the districts, officials said. While 18 districts with less than five percent Covid positivity rate, including Thane, fall in level one, Mumbai is in level two. From tomorrow, these 18 districts will see complete unlocking."We have prepared a 5-level to unlock plan for the state on the basis of positivity rate and status of occupancy of oxygen beds in the districts. Districts with the lowest positivity rate will have no restrictions," Maharashtra minister Vijay Wadettiwar said.

The lists of the districts falling under these five levels will be reviewed every week for further amendment — the districts can move up and down based on their Covid-19 numbers.

Level 1

Lockdown to be lifted in districts with less than 5 percent positivity rate. Oxygen bed occupancy should be less than 25 percent. Restaurants, malls, shops, local trains, public places, tourist destinations, public, private offices, theatres, shootings, gatherings, social entertainment, marriages, gym, salon, beauty parlors will be allowed to reopen in cities/districts such as Aurangabad, Bhandara, Buldhana, Chandrapur, Dhule, Gondia, Gadchiroli, Jalgaon, Latur, Nanded, Nashik, Parbhani, Thane, Jalna, Nagpur, Wardha, Washim, and Yavatmal.

Level 2

Section 144 to be applicable at this level. Gyms, salons, beauty parlors are allowed to reopen with 50 percent capacity. Restrictions on the gathering of a number of people in marriages.

Cities/districts listed in level 2 are Mumbai, Ahmednagar, Amaravati, Hingoli and Nandurbar.

Level 3

Cities/districts in level three are Akola, Beed, Kolhapur, Usmanabad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Sangli, Satara, Palghar, and Solapur.

Level 4

The cities/districts which are listed in this level are Pune and Raigad.

Level 5

An e-pass will be required to travel if any city/district comes under level 5 due to the high number in Covid-19 cases. No need to carry an RTPCR report for intra-state transport.

On June 1, the Maharashtra government had announced various exemptions from Covid-based restrictions depending on positivity rates and oxygen bed availability in various districts.

According to the guidelines issued under the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government’s ‘Break the Chain’ initiative, establishments or shops involved in providing essential commodities should remain open from 7 am to 2 pm in municipal corporations or states with a Covid-19 positivity rate of less than 10 percent and less than 40 percent oxygen beds occupied. The Chief Minister had on Sunday extended the lockdown by 15 days. As per the census of 2011, the municipal corporations that are having a population of more than 10 lakh will be considered as the independent administrative unit for curbing the spread of COVID-19. Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivali, Vasai Virar, Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad, Nagpur, Aurangabad and Nashik corporations will be treated as the administrative units, the order had said.