Coronavirus | Tamil Nadu reintroduces restrictions from April 10; no full lockdown

Buses plying between Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka will operate only with seated passengers

April 08, 2021 03:41 pm | Updated 03:48 pm IST - CHENNAI

With the rising COVID-19 positive cases, Madurai Corporation has increased the testing among symptomatic persons in Madurai.

With the rising COVID-19 positive cases, Madurai Corporation has increased the testing among symptomatic persons in Madurai.

The Tamil Nadu government will reintroduce multiple restrictions from April 10 to tackle the steady increase in COVID-19 cases across the State, according to Government Order issued on Thursday. The restrictions have been brought back as campaigning for the State Assembly elections and the voting has been completed in the State. The State recorded 27,743 active cases as on April 7, the government said.

The government while announcing the restrictions said the number of cases in the State have increased in some districts “due to functions, events, meetings and non-compliance of COVID-19 protocols such as wearing masks by the public and non-implementation of the protocols in many offices and organisations”.

Read the full Government Order

The government said the restrictions will be in place until further orders. There will be a ban on international flights except those allowed by the Ministry of Home Affairs, temple festivals and religious events, small traders at Koyambedu wholesale market and small retail traders in all the districts. There will be no relaxations in containment zones and they will be under total lockdown.

Apart from these, the government has announced various restrictions. As per this, private and government buses plying between districts in the State and MTC buses in Chennai will be operated only with seated passengers. No standing passengers will be allowed.

Buses plying between Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka will operate only with seated passengers.

Following COVID-19 protocols, fruit and vegetable shops, grocery and all other stores, shopping malls, all retail showrooms, jewellery shops, big format stores will be allowed to operate only with 50% capacity at any point in time till 11 p.m.

The order said, restaurants, tea shops with seating will be allowed to function only with 50% capacity at any point in time till 11 p.m. Restaurants will be allowed to provide parcel service till 11 p.m.

Recreation clubs can function only with 50% members. Besides, entertainment parks, amusement parks, large halls, zoos, parks, museums can function only with 50% capacity

Multiplexes, cinema halls in shopping malls, and standalone theatres will be allowed to function with only 50% seating, the order said. Social, political, educational, recreational, sporting and cultural events in indoor venues will be allowed with a maximum of 200 persons

Weddings can be conducted with a maximum of 100 guests; funeral processions allowed with a maximum of 50 persons. According to the order, sporting events in indoor and outdoor stadiums are allowed to be held without spectators. Swimming pools, sports training allowed after following necessary protocols.

Business to Business process exhibitions will be allowed in exhibition halls. As for television serial and film shootings, they will be allowed but production houses must ensure that everyone on the sets take RT-PCR tests or are vaccinated.

Rental taxis and cabs can operate with a maximum of three passengers apart from the driver, the order added. Autorickshaws can carry a maximum of two passengers apart from the driver.

Besides, the e-registration system for those coming to Tamil Nadu from other States (except from Puducherry, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh) or countries will continue.

The government said a monitoring committee will monitor the implementation of these restrictions and ground-level monitoring committees will be formed to assess the ground situation. Such teams will be formed across all the districts.

The government also advised those above 45 years of age to get vaccinated at government run vaccination centres, hospitals, private hospitals within the next two weeks. It also advised those who have Covid-19 symptoms to immediately approach a government hospital nearby for treatment.

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