CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government on Friday announced extending the lockdown by another week ending 6pm on July 5 with several relaxations in Chennai and surrounding districts where Covid-19 cases have come down.
Shopping malls, jewellery stores, textile showrooms and places of worship will be allowed in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Chengalpet districts.
The new relaxations will come into effect on Monday (June 28).
The government continues to classify the districts into three categories based on the caseload in the recent days and announced relaxations.
Four districts (Category III)Places of worship will be allowed in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Chengalpet districts.
But archanas, festivals and consecration ceremonies won’t be allowed.
All private establishments shall be allowed with 100% workforce.
All textile shops, jewellery stores shall function without air-conditioning and allow only 50% of the customers at a time between 9am and 7pm.
Shopping complex/malls shall function between 9am and 7pm.
Only takeaway services will be allowed in the restaurants.
Theatres and game centres in commercial malls will not be permitted.
Sports training academies and outdoor events will be allowed between 6am and 9pm without spectators.
In general, walking will be allowed in all beaches between 5am and 9am., match factories will be permitted with 100% workforce.
The latest travel relaxations23 districts (Category II)In 23 districts under category II (Ariyalur, Cuddalore, Dharmapuri, Dindigul, Kallakurichi, Kanyakumari, Krishnagiri, Madurai, Perambalur, Pudukkottai, Ramanathapuram, Ranipet, Sivaganga, Theni, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, Tirupattur, Tiruvannamalai, Tuticorin, Trichy, Villupuram, Vellore and Virudhunagar), intra-district and inter-district public bus transport shall commence operations with 50% seating capacity.
Shops selling utensils, fancy goods, photo/video shops, laundries, tailoring shops, printing press and photocopying centres shall function between 9am and 7pm.
So are shops selling mobile and accessories, computer hardware, software, electronic appliances and spare parts.
Takeaway service at roadside eateries shall operate between 6am and 7pm.
11 districts (Category I)In 11 districts under category I (Coimbatore, the Nilgiris, Tirupur, Erode, Salem, Karur, Namakkal, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai), additional relaxations have been extended considering the falling cases.
All government departments catering to essential services will be allowed with 100% workforce, while other departments 50%.
Sub-registrar offices shall also function with 100% workforce, while all private offices, banks and insurance companies, ATM services, SEBI and capital and debt market services 50%.
Export units and vendor units shall operate with 100% workforce.
The rest of the industries, housing finance corporations and non-banking financial institutions and micro-finance institutions and the offices of construction units with 33% workforce.
IT/ITES shall operate with 20% staff members.
The government has allowed all construction activities in these 11 districts.
Tea shops shall function with takeaway service alone between 6am and 7pm.
Shops selling electrical goods, bulbs, cables, switches and wires, books and stationery items, footwear, utensils, fancy goods, photo/video shops, laundries, tailoring shops, printing press and photocopying centres, shops selling home appliances and service centres, hardware shops, automobile dealers’ shops and service centres, will be permitted between 9am and 7pm.
Also, shops selling automobile spare parts, mobile and accessories, computer hardware, software, electronic appliances, spare parts and construction material will be allowed.
The government also decided to allow beauty parlours, salons, spas without air-conditioning and with 50% customers at a time between 6am and 7pm.
Sports training academies and outdoor events without spectators will be permitted between 6am and 9pm.
Admission-related work in schools, colleges, universities and coaching institutes will be permitted, government parks, and the parks maintained by the local bodies, playgrounds shall remain open between 6am and 9pm for morning walk.
Shops selling sweets and savouries will be permitted for take away service between 6am and 9pm.
E-Seva centres will continue to function, while takeaway service via food delivery apps, hotels, restaurants and bakeries will be permitted between 6am and 9pm.
All e-commerce activities permitted between 6am and 9pm, besides post production of films.
Shooting of films and series shall go on with the cast and crew of 100 members after being subjected to RT-PCR tests.
Maintenance of cinema theatres will be allowed one day in a week after getting sanction from the local tahsildar.
Other relaxationsThe government also gave additional relaxations to category II and category III districts, including permission to government offices, banks, insurance companies and ATM services, SEBI and capital and debt market services and industries to function with 100% workforce.
IT/ITES, housing finance corporations and non-banking financial institutions and micro-finance institutions shall operate with 50% workforce.
Gyms, yoga institutions will be permitted without air-conditioning facilities with 50% visitors in the scheduled timing.
Museums, archaeological monuments and excavation sites will be kept open between 10am and 5pm.
Private security agencies and housekeeping agencies shall operate without e-registration, so are electricians, plumbers, motor technicians, carpenters.