Tamil Nadu extends lockdown till July 5 with relaxations in Chennai; Malls, Shopping complexes allowed

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Chennai, June 25: The Tamil Nadu government on Friday announced more relaxations in lockdown norms, effective June 28, and they include re-opening places of worship and malls in four districts and resumption of public transport in 23 other districts. The government extended by one more week other restrictions as part of the lockdown norms till 6 AM on July 5 and they include closure of bars and cinemas.

The government continues to group the districts into three three based on the caseload in recent days and announced relaxations.

What is allowed and what's not:

• Apparel showrooms, jewellery stores and malls allowed to reopen without air-conditioning
• Gyms, yoga centres (50 per cent occupancy), museums and protected monuments would open
• Places of religious worship to open for public in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Chengalpet districts
• Metro Train Services to be available from 7 am to 9 pm, every 10 minutes without peak hours on Sundays and Government Public Holidays
• All private establishments shall be allowed with 100% workforce in these districts.
• Only takeaway services will be allowed in the restaurants.
• Theatres and play centres will not be allowed
• Sports training academies without visitors, sports events in open spaces will be allowed between 6am and 9pm.

• In general, walking will be allowed on all beaches between 5 am and 9 pm, match factories will be permitted with 100 per cent workforce in the four districts.
• Non-airconditioned bus services, including inter- district operations, shall resume with 50 per cent occupancy in as many as 23 other districts in the second group
• Bus services are already operational only in Chennai, and three nearby districts, including Chengelpet.
• In the first category of 11 other districts with comparatively more cases, time duration for functioning of a variety of retail outlets besides tea shops have been extended till 7 PM (previously upto 2 PM for certain shops and 5 PM for others).
• Government offices in other regions already work with full strength. These 11 districts include seven in western parts (including Coimbatore) and four in Cauvery delta region like Thanjavur.
• The e-pass requirement has been largely dispensed with in districts under group two and three and for purposes of attending marriage functions in category one areas, an e-pass would be needed.
• The 23 districts in the second category include Ariyalur, Cuddalore, Dharmapuri, Dindigul, Kallakurichi, Kanyakumari, Krishnagiri, Madurai, Perambalur, Pudukottai, Ramanathapuram, Ranipet and Sivaganga.
• Effective June 14, the government allowed more relaxations for 27 districts and it includes re-opening of government-run retail liquor outlets and salons.

With a spike in coronavirus cases, the State government clamped a lockdown from May 10. Following a gradual decrease in the number of cases, the government has been relaxing curbs more and more in a phased manner.