Unlock 5.0: Shops, retail outlets in Tamil Nadu allowed to function till 10 pm

Chennai,Oct 21: All shops, restaurants and commercial complexes in Tamil Nadu would be allowed to function till 10 pm from Thursday in view of the coming festive season and to facilitatefurther economic recovery, Chief Minister K Palanisamy said, easing coronavirus-induced curbs further.

Barring shops located in full containment zones, all others could function up to10 pm by following the Standard Operating Procedure to prevent the spread ofCOVID-19, Palaniswami said in an official release on Wednesday.

Shops are presently allowed to remain open till 9 pm. Considering the upcoming festival season, and the necessity of facilitatingfurther economic recovery, "vegetable shops,groceries, restaurants, and all shops including tea stalls and commercial complexes are permitted to function till 10 pm from October 22," the Chief Minister said.

Tamil Nadu on Tuesday recorded a further dip in the number of COVID-19 cases with 3,094 people testing positive for the virus, pushing the tally to 6,94,030. As many as 50 people have succumbed to the virus taking the death toll to 10,741, a bulletin issued by the health department said.

The total number of recoveries continued to outnumber new infections with 4,403 people getting discharged, aggregating to 6,46,555. Active cases including those in isolation were at 36,734.

The state has been witnessing a decline in the number of new infections over the last few days.