Chennai: The new phase of lockdown with more relaxations came ito effect this morning. Temples with less than Rs 10,000 annual income in non-Corporation areas started allowing devotees after a gap of more than four months.
Also, shops and commercial establishments will function for more time from today, while companies will function with 75 per cent staff.
The Tamilnadu government on Thursday announced extension of lockdown till 31 August, while maintaining status quo on relaxations and restrictions in view of the rising coronavirus cases.
In a statement here, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said the decision to extend the lockdown was taken based on the feedback received at the meeting of all District Collectors and with the public health experts and medical panel.
While announcing that the lockdown down restrictions which were in force now would continue till 31 August, the Chief Minister announced total and complete lockdown, without any relaxations, on all Sundays in the month of August to prevent spread of the virus.
However, in other districts, the present restrictions which were in force would continue till the end of next month.
Palaniswami said Independence day would be celebrated across the State by following the gudielines issued by the Centre and by wearing facemaks and maintaining social distancing.
He also said e-pass was a must for travelling outside the State and coming into the State.Ā Announcing relaxations from 1 August, Palaniswami said all tea shops and hotels, restaurants would be allowed with dining facilities by maintaining social distancing.
All industries, private and export firms, were allowed to function with 75 per cent staff strength from 1 August as against 50 per cent allowed earlier.
The timing of hotels and tea shops with 50 per cent dining facility was extended by an hour till 7 pm, while there was no change for restaurants, which were allowed only takeaways from 6 am to 9 pm.
The functioning of all grocery and vegtable shops was also extended by an hour from 6 am to 7 pm.Ā The timing of textile and other retail shops without AC facility was also extended by an hour from 10 am to 7 pm.
However, all schools and colleges, amusement parks, gyms, temples, places of worships (except those earning revenue of less than Rs 10,000 per year, which would continue to remain opend for public), religious meets, tourist spots
like Ooty, Kodaikanal, Yercaud and Kodaikanal, hotels, resorts, shopping malls, public transports, train services, including EMU services, Chennai Metro and flight services (except for those allowed by the Centre), theatres, bars, beaches, zoos, museums and places where the people would congregate in large numbers, would be out of bounds for the public till 31 August.
The inter-State transport services would also be suspended till further orders, while vehicles transporting essential commodities would be permitted.