Tamil Nadu extends lockdown till July 31, full shutdown on Sundays

Chennai

In a statement issued, CM Palaniswami said the complete lockdown imposed in Chennai, Thiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu from June 19 onwards and in Madurai from July 24 onwards will be extended till July 5.

The state government also said that there will be full scale shutdown without any relaxations on all Sundays across the state.

With easing of norms from July 6, the relaxations previously available for Chennai and Madurai, including extended business hours for outlets selling essentials, will come into force again and be in place till July 31.

The Tamil Nadu government's decision to extend lockdown comes despite the expert medical committee recommending against extending lockdown after June 30.

The panel held a review meeting with Chief Minister K Palaniswami during which Prabhdeep Kaur, Deputy Director, National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), said the expert committee didn't recommend lockdown extension as it was not the only way to control the virus spread.

The panel also took into account the socio-economic issues of the lockdown while making its recommendation, Kaur said. The panel has suggested tightening of restrictions in the areas where the infection rate was high.

• On all the four Sundays in July, intense lockdown will be in force across Tamil Nadu and only health care services, including pharmacies and hospitals, will be functional.

• Palaniswami also announced stoppage of intra district public and private transport service between July 1-15.

• Similarly, the inter-state transport is also suspended till further orders.

• For travel within a district, e-pass will not be needed though it was necessary for inter-district and inter-state travel

• Educational institutions, amusement parks, gyms, places of worships (other than those earning a revenue of less than Rs 10,000 per year, which would be open from July 6), religious gatherings, resorts, hotels, suburban train and metro train services, flight services, theatres, bar, zoo and other places where people would gather in large numbers will be closed till July 31.

• Worship would however be allowed in villages by following norms, including social distancing. For gatherings related to weddings and deaths, more than 50 people should not assemble.

• Travel to tourist places like Nilgiris, Kodaikanal and Yercaud for non-residents and for tourism purposes will not be allowed, an official release said. 

• As to the relaxations, Palaniswami said from July 6 onwards, tea shops, hotels and restaurants can have dine in customers maintaining social distancing.

• Central and state government offices, banks, IT, private and other industrial establishments, taxi/auto service, saloon, spa can function without air conditioning, he said.

• Meat and fish stalls can function with restrictions in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur and Madurai. In the case of other districts, the existing restrictions would be applicable.

• Tamil Nadu government-owned liquor shops will be allowed to open after July 6, barring Chennai and containment zones.

Since the past five days, the state has been recording 3,500-plus Covid-19 cases daily, taking its tally to 86,224 and there has been 1,141 deaths till date.

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