4 districts emerge from total lockdown today

Shutdown served its purpose: officials

July 06, 2020 12:15 am | Updated 12:15 am IST

Chennai and its three neighbouring districts — Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Chengalpattu — will emerge from a 17-day intensive lockdown on Monday with the easing of curbs. However, certain relaxations announced earlier, such as allowing restaurants to operate at 50% capacity, have been reversed in Chennai.

According to the government, the intensive lockdown was necessitated by the rising COVID-19 cases in the city and its surrounding regions. It was expected that the shutdown would give healthcare systems a respite and facilitate the tracing of the contacts of COVID-19-positive persons.

Officials said the lockdown had provided much-needed breathing space for ramping up healthcare facilities for treating patients.

Autorickshaws, cycle-rickshaws, taxis and cab aggregators like Ola and Uber can resume operations in the city from Monday. Autorickshaws are allowed to carry only two passengers, excluding the driver, while cabs can ferry a maximum of three passengers.

IT/ITeS companies, private offices, industrial establishments and export-oriented units in Chennai are allowed to function with 50% staff strength, though for IT/ITeS companies, the upper limit on staffing has been fixed at 80 employees.

“IT companies have informed us that their productivity has actually increased during the lockdown, when their employees have been working from home. Even under the earlier lockdowns, many firms were staffing only some key operations on the technical side to ensure that their businesses did not suffer any technological disruptions,” a senior State government official told The Hindu .

In Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu, small temples in rural areas and small mosques, dargahs and churches will be allowed to reopen for public worship. IT/ITeS firms have been permitted to operate at 100% capacity, but 20% of the staff have been advised to work from home. Private companies can operate with 100% employee strength.

The official said many industries had been functioning with enough operational capacity, and this was likely to continue, though some industries were facing issues with labour shortage.

Vegetable and provision shops can stay open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., as they used to before the intensive lockdown, when they were allowed to function till 2 p.m. only.

Restaurants in Chennai can only offer takeaway services. In Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Chengalpattu, however, they are allowed to operate with 50% dine-in capacity.

From July 6, those already in possession of an e-pass that was valid till June 19 for travel between districts can continue to use it. However, those who need to travel between districts and do not have an e-pass must apply for one, and travel only after the pass is issued.

With Chennai seeing a decline in cases in the last couple of days, authorities say the lockdown has served its key purpose — identifying symptomatic cases, providing treatment to those who have tested positive, and identifying and isolating contacts of COVID-19 patients.

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