With the State government’s fresh restrictions to contain the spread of COVID-19 comes into force from Thursday, Collector C. Kathiravan has said that provision, grocery and tea shops can function only till noon and asked shopkeepers to adhere to the norms.
Mr. Kathiravan on Wednesday chaired a meeting with heads of all government departments at the Collectorate on the effective implementation of fresh restrictions to control the spread of virus. He said that various restrictions and relaxations were already in place and the government had imposed fresh restrictions to be implemented from 4 a.m. on May 6 to 4 a.m. on May 20.
Mr. Kathiravan said that all government and private offices should function with a maximum of 50% employees while buses and taxis will also be operated with 50% occupancy. Functioning of big format shops, shopping complex and malls with over 3,000 sq ft was already banned from April 26 and provision and grocery stores in these big format shops will also be not allowed to function from Thursday.
However, vegetable and provision stores that function separately will be allowed to function till 12 noon with 50% customers allowed inside the shops, he said and added that other shops will be closed from Thursday.
Mr. Kathiravan said that medical shops, petrol bunks and supply of milk would function as usual while only take away service is allowed in restaurants, hotels and mess. “Tea shops will function only till 12 noon and customers will not be allowed to sit inside the shop”, he added. He said that theatres will not function while meat and fish stalls will function only on week days from 6 a.m. to noon. “They will not function on Saturdays and Sundays”, he added.
He said that continuous process industries, industries manufacturing essential commodities can function during the night curfew and workers should have their identity cards.
P. Thangadurai, Superintendent of Police, P. Murugesan, District Revenue Officer, Corporation Commissioner M. Elangovan, K. Selvarasu, Project Director, District Rural Development Agency, G.S. Gomathi, Joint Director of Medical Services and other officials were present.
