Under Sunday lockdown, all activities halt in TN

Tamil Nadu came under an intense lockdown, the third successive Sunday of full curbs without any relaxations to help fight COVID-19 and roads everywhere wore a deserted look as people stayed indoors.

Barring milk supply and health care services, all other activities came to a halt and markets were closed down. Shops, including those selling essential commodities, were shut. But for cargo trucks, other vehicles went off the roads.

For sanitary workers, it was business as usual as they continued their clean up work, and personnel of civic bodies conducted door to door surveys to detect people with flu like symptoms and fever camps were also held. State run low cost Amma canteens also functioned.

Check posts were set up at key intersections in towns and cities, including 193 here and at district borders as part of measures to effectively implement the complete shutdown.

"No vehicle will be allowed to ply on the roads except those for milk distribution, medical emergencies and funerals," Chennai police said in a statement adding any other vehicle found plying without any of these valid reasons would be detained.

For any queries, the traffic control room may be contacted at 044-23452330 and 23452362, the release said.

Following violations like opening of meat shops in quite afew areas like Virudhunagar district's Aruppukottai, authoritiesswung into action and closed down the outlets.

Greater Chennai Corporation said from May 8 till July 18, as many as 19,151 fever camps were held, in which 11,81,205 people participated, leading to detection of 62,470 people with flu-like symptoms.

Local bodies utilise the curbs to reach out to even more people to detect a higher number of flu-like cases.

Tamil Nadu police said till date Rs 18.39 crore fine has beenlevied against violators of curbs and as many as 6.41 lakh vehiclesseized across the state.

The state is set to witness one more 'Sunday lockdown' on July 26 and authorities expect such measures to augment ongoing initiatives to help slow down the spread of COVID-19 and early identification of people with flu like symptoms and treatment for those who test positive.