Full lockdown has been extended in Chennai, Madurai and in parts of Thiruvallur, Chengalpattu and Kanchipuram till July 5. The same restrictions that these districts witnessed for the lockdown between June 19 and June 30 will be extended until July 5. A press release issued by the Tamil Nadu government on Monday evening also extended the lockdown with some relaxations in the rest of the state till July 31.
In addition, a complete lockdown will be imposed on all Sundays in July across Tamil Nadu. This means that July 5, July 12, July 19 and July 26 will see a total lockdown.
Until new orders are issued, the ban in place in the following operations will continue:
- Places of worship
- All religious gatherings
- Ban on tourists visiting Nilgiris, Kodaikanal, Yercaud and other tourist spots.
- Ban will continue on the functioning of hotels, resorts and other guest accommodations. They are exempted for use for isolation purposes or by the Health Department, police, government offices.
- Shopping malls
- Schools, colleges, training/ coaching centres, research centres and other educational institutes. They can be encouraged to continue with online learning
- Ban extended on international flights apart from those allowed by the Union Home Ministry
- Metro rail/ electric train
- Theatres, gyms, swimming pools, entertainment gatherings, bars, big arenas, meeting arenas, beaches, tourist spots, zoos, exhibitions and other places where public gathers in large numbers.
- All forms of social, political, sports, recreational, cultural, educational events, functions, meetings and processions.
- Inter-state travel.
Based on the assessment of the infection, the above restrictions may be relaxed.
- No relaxations will be allowed during complete lockdown on Sunday in July - July 5, July 12, July 19 and July 26 for the entire state of Tamil Nadu.
- No more than 50 persons are allowed at wedding functions.
- No more than 50 persons are allowed at funerals and death-related rituals. Earlier, only 20 people were allowed at funerals.
- Public and private vehicles currently allowed to function within districts are being stopped from July 1 to July 15.
- No e-pass required for movement inside the same district.
- In areas where strict lockdown is extended till July 5, the e-pass currently provided will be extended automatically. No need to apply for a new one.
- Govt suspends existing bus facilities within districts till July 15.
KTCC (Kancheepuram, Thiruvallur, Chennai and Chengalpattu) areas where strict lockdown is in place and in containment zones, permission will given for following activities from July 6:
- IT and ITES companies can function with 50% staff with a maximum count of 80 staff.
- All private companies, export companies etc can function with 50% staff but wherever possible, they are to encourage work from home
- All shops, except malls, can function with 50% staff. But only five customers are permitted to be inside at any given point in time. Shops must not use AC in the premises.
- Restaurants can function with 50% seating capacity. No AC use permitted.
- Tea shops, restaurants, vegetable and provisions stores can function from 6 am to 8 pm. Tea shops shall allow customers to use only 50% of their seating capacity.
- Cabs and taxis can operate with three passengers apart from the driver.
- Autos are allowed to operate with two passengers. Cycle rickshaws are also permitted.
- Barber shops and salons are allowed to operate under guidelines provided by government
- Fish, meat and egg stalls allowed to operate with adequate physical distancing norms.
From July 1 in rest of Tamil Nadu and from July 6 in Kancheepuram, Thiruvallur, Chengalpattu and Madurai, these relaxations are allowed:
- Small places of worship in rural areas with annual revenue less than Rs 10,000, small mosques and churches are allowed to open for devotees with adequate physical distancing norms. In urban areas (corporation, municipality etc), places of worship will not be allowed to function.
- Offices and export firms, IT and ITES companies and all private offices can function with 100% employees. But work from home is encouraged to be adopted.
- All shops except malls can function with 50% staff. But only five customers permitted to be inside at any given point in time. Shops must not use AC in the premises.
- Tea shops, restaurants, vegetable and provisions stores can function from 6 am to 8 pm. Other stores including TASMAC shall function from 10 am to 8 pm. Tea shops shall allow customers to use only 50% of their seating capacity.
- Restaurants can function with 50% seating capacity. No AC use permitted.
- E-commerce (non-essential goods included) will be allowed to operate.
- Cabs and taxis can operate with three passengers apart from the driver.
- Autos are allowed to operate with two passengers. Cycle rickshaws are also permitted.
- Fish, meat and egg stalls allowed to operate with adequate physical distancing norms.
- Section 144 orders to continue. Crowds of more than 5 persons in public places are prohibited.
The Tamil Nadu government’s decision to extend the lockdown comes despite the expert medical committee advising against extending the lockdown.
The committee had a two-hour meeting with Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami on Monday. Following the discussion, Dr Prabhdeep Kaur, a member of Chief Minister’s Expert Committee on COVID-19 said, “Our committee has not recommended a lockdown because it is a blunt instrument, but not a solution. We require it at times, but lockdown alone cannot be a solution for COVID-19 pandemic. We need to intensify the restrictions in places with high caseload.”