The government of Tamil Nadu gave permission for all commercial establishments across the state, except those in containment zones, to function till 10 pm from Thursday. As per a press statement issued by the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, the decision was taken keeping in mind the upcoming festival season, the need to revive the economy and the pandemic situation in the state.
The permission granted will be applicable to all commercial and business establishments including restaurants, tea shops, provision and vegetable shops. All these establishments have been ordered to operate in line with the standard operating procedures issued by the state government. The statement also mentioned that this permission is applicable to shops outside the COVID-19 containment zones across the state.
The Chief Minister also requested people to avoid crowding in shops and public places and to follow the basic hygiene protocols of wearing face masks, maintaining a six feet distance between each other and washing the hands with soap frequently.
Recently, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) sealed a showroom of Kumaran Silks after videos of people crowding inside the shop went viral on social media. The Coimbatore city corporation had also imposed a fine on Ganapathy Silks a few days ago for not following the standard operating procedures issued by the local authority while keeping the shop open for the public. Every year the time from September to December is busy for traders as a few important festivals including Diwali, Navarathri and Christmas make people shop more, bringing in revenue for the traders.
Tamil Nadu, on Tuesday, reported 3094 fresh cases of COVID-19, of which 857 came from Chennai. Coimbatore district recorded 263 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday. The total number of patients currently in treatment across Tamil Nadu is 36734.