Lockdown: Medical testing labs, grocery stores allowed to function

The Home Ministry made it clear on Friday night that medical testing laboratories and grocery stores, including e-commerce platforms with a mandate to sell essential commodities, were exempted from the purview of the ongoing 21-day lockdown.

In a statement, the ministry said it had issued a series of guidelines giving exemptions to services, which were allowed to function normally during the lockdown.

However, at the ground level, different interpretations are being made on the items given exceptions, which hinder a smooth flow of the supply chain of these essential items.

Taking the case of "laboratories", the communication clarified that they were exempted from the lockdown restrictions.

This includes the testing laboratories in the private sector for COVID-19 samples.

These samples are collected through various collection centres and thereafter, transported to the aforesaid laboratories.

It is reiterated that the opening up of temporary collection centres, movement of lab technicians and transportation of samples from the collection centres to the laboratories are exempted from any lockdown restrictions on movement, the statement said.

Coming to daily essentials, the communication stated that exceptions to sale (including through e-commerce), production, warehousing and transport of essential goods such as food, groceries, fruits and vegetables, dairy and milk products, meat and fish, animal fodder, seeds, fertilisers and pesticides, agriculture produce, drugs, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, their raw material and intermediaries have been specifically mentioned in the aforesaid guidelines of exemptions.

In a communication on March 29, it was clarified that groceries would include hygiene products such as hand-wash, soaps, disinfectants, body-wash, shampoo, surface cleaners, detergents and tissue papers, toothpaste and oral care, sanitary pads and diapers, charger and battery cells etc., which were allowed to be sold.

In view of these developments, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla has written to all state chief secretaries, clarifying on ground-level issues being faced by the states in ensuring a smooth flow of the supply chain of essential items during the nationwide lockdown to fight COVID-19.

The communication deals in detail with different categories of essential items exempted from the lockdown restrictions.

In order to further streamline the supply of essential goods, the following clarifications have been issued:-