Tamil Nadu extends lockdown till 14 June, allows essential shops and govt offices to reopen; full details here

Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin announced the extension of lockdown in the state by one more week till 14 June but eased some of the restrictions, including allowing shops selling essential commodities to reopen and government offices to resume work. This, even as the state continues to report one of the highest daily figures in the country. On Friday, Tamil Nadu had reported 22,651 new COVID-19 infections and 463 deaths. Though recoveries were high with 33,646 being cured or discharged on Friday, the state has the second-highest number of active cases  2,68,968 after Karnataka. Overall, though the spread of coronavirus has come under control in Tamil Nadu, it continued to be on the rise in 11 districts including Coimbatore and the Nilgiris, Stalin said. Hence, such regions would have lesser relaxations and the rest of the state, relatively more, according to an official release. Here’s what the latest lockdown order says about what’s allowed and what’s not. Shops and markets Across the state, standalone provision stores, vegetable shops, meat and fish stalls, pavement hawkers selling flowers besides other things would be allowed to function from 6 am to 5 pm and fish markets and slaughterhouses shall be open only for wholesale trade. Stalin said that the sale of fruits and vegetables through vehicles would continue, and requested the people to cooperate with the government and follow COVID-19 related guidelines. Shops selling hardware items, electrical goods, vehicle spares, books and stationery and vehicle service stations could function from 6 am to 5 pm. Offices and industries Except for a few essential departments including medical and other government offices were closed from last month. But now, government offices shall resume work with 30 percent of employees and Sub Registrar’s office shall limit registration work by issuing ’tokens’ only up to 50 percent. The matchwork industries in the state too could operate with 50 percent workers. Export units in cities such as Coimbatore, Tirupur, Salem, Karur and Erode and raw material manufacturing firms could work with 10 percent of workers. Tirupur, Erode, Salem, Karur, Namakkal, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, and Mayiladuthurai are the nine other districts that have been witnessing comparatively more cases. Housekeeping and maintenance Barring the 11 districts, in other regions, routine housekeeping and maintenance work in offices and residences would be allowed and workers including electricians and plumbers shall be permitted to work between 6 am and 5 pm albeit after getting an e-pass following registration. Transport services In taxis and autorickshaws, three and two passengers, respectively, would be permitted and they could travel with an ’e-pass’. Following discussions with top officials at the Secretariat over extending COVID-19 curbs on Friday, Stalin said that an e-pass from district administration is necessary to travel (for emergency purposes) to hill stations of Nilgiris, Kodaikanal, Yercaud and the tourist destination of Courtallam. New relaxations become effective from 7 June All the fresh relaxations would come into effect on 7 June and permitted activities should be done by following COVID-19 protocol. The intense lockdown without relaxations across the state was previously extended up to 7 June. A two-week lockdown was clamped on 10 May in Tamil Nadu with some relaxations and subsequently, it was extended by one more week, till 31 May and relaxations were withdrawn. The additional restrictions from 24 May included the closure of vegetable shops and provision stores, which were earlier allowed to work between 6 am and 10 am. To help ensure the supply of vegetables and fruits, the government implemented sale through vehicles. With inputs from PTI