Chennai, (Samajweekly) A day after he and his council of Ministers were sworn in, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Saturday announced total lockdown in Tamil Nadu between May 10-24 to prevent spread of coronavirus, while exempting essential services.
He also said with the impending two week lockdown from Monday onwards all shops and establishments are allowed to function from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
In a statement issued here Stalin said the two week lockdown is announced to intensify actions to prevent the spread of coronavirus and due to unavoidable reasons.
Stalin said the lockdown will kick in from 4 a.m. on May 8 to 4 a.m. on May 24.
According to Stalin liquor shops will also be closed.
The banned and permissible activities during the lockdown are:
-International flights are banned other than which are permitted by the Union Home Ministry.
-E-registion on https://eregister.tnega.org must for people coming to Tamil Nadu from other Indian states and overseas.
-Train and flight passengers will be allowed to move on production of tickets.
-Only standalone shops selling groceries, vegetables, meat and fish will be allowed to function till 12 noon without air conditioning.
-Other than above shops, all other shops are to be closed.
-Dunzo like delivery organisations can deliver vegetabls/provisions/grocery/meat/fish only till 12 noon.
-Big format stores (over 3,000 sq.ft) and shopping malls are to be closed.
-State owned liquor shops to be closed.
-Only takeaways permitted at hotels and restaurants and not dine-in. Hotels and lodges to serve food to their guests staying for commercial and medical purposes in their rooms. Otherwise hotels and lodges to remain closed.
-Tea shops to be closed at 12 noon.
-Ban on cultural/political/educational functions in indoor auditoriums and outdoors.
-Only 20 persons allowed at funerals.
-Not more than 50 persons allowed in weddings.
-Closure of barber shops, beauty parlours, spas, saloon.
-Closure of recreation clubs, movie theatres, liquor bars, auditoriums, meeting halls, amusement parks and other places where there will be large gatherings of people.
-Ban on retail sales of fruits and vegetables at Koyambedu Market in Chennai. Similarly ban on retail sales of fruits and vegetables in wholesale markets in other places in the state.
-State government departments other than Secretariat, Fire Service, Police, Revenue, Disaster Management, Medical, Prisons, Electricity, Water Supply, Treasury, Local Bodies, Social Welfare, Womens Welfare- will remain closed.
-These above restrictions are applicable for central government departments as well.
-Other than exempted industries all others, information technology (IT) and information technology enabled services (ITES) units will remain closed. Work-from-home is permitted.
-Closure of places of worship for the public, but daily poojas permitted by the temple staff.
-Ban on all tourists to Nilgris, Kodaikanal, Yercaud and other places.
-People are not allowed to go to the beach across the state.
-Parks, museums, archaeological sites closed to the public.
-Schools, Universities, Colleges and summer camps are banned.
-Sports training academies are to be closed.
-Intra-district and inter-district government/private bus, taxi, autorickshaw service banned except for those travelling to attend weddings, job interviews and to hospitals with proper proof.
-No permission to operate for food and grocery/provisions/vegetable delivery companies like Zomato, Swiggy.
-Essential services like the delivery of milk, newspaper, courier service, hospitals, medical diagnostic labs, ambulance and hearse services are allowed.
-Vehicles carrying goods, oil, agricultural produce, oxygen trucks are allowed.
-Shops selling cattle feed, pesticides and fertilisers are allowed to function between 6 a.m and 12 noon.
-On the days during total lockdown (Sundays) hotels, restaurants can be open between 6-10 a.m., 12 noon to 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Food delivery companies like Swiggy and Zomato can function only during this period.
-Amma canteens will function as usual.
-Pavement shops selling vegetables and flowers can function till 12 noon.
-Ration shops to function between 8 a.m. and 12 noon.
-On going construction activities will be permitted.
-Organisations serving old/handicapped people can move around with identity proof.
-Media activities are permitted.
-Continuous process industries and industries manufacturing essential items are allowed to function.
-Banking, postal services, data centres maintenance are allowed.
-Warehouse operations to load and unload goods allowed.
-Petrol, diesel vending outlets can function.
-Banks, insurance companies, ATM transport services are allowed with 50 per cent employees.
