Existing lockdown restrictions will continue in Tiruvannamalai till October 24, District Collector B. Murugesh said on Sunday.
Hotels, bakeries and tea shops in the temple town would be allowed to function only between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. on all days; parcels in these outlets would be allowed up to 10 p.m. every day. All shops, including roadside eateries, hawkers and petty traders can function between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. in the town. Likewise, 50% occupancy should be maintained in hotels and tea shops with owners and staff of these outlets and establishments having received the second dose of vaccination. Imposition of fines for not wearing face masks and social distancing in public places for individuals and 50% occupancy in government buses are other stringent restrictions that have been intensified.
The extension of the existing lockdown restrictions and conduct of vaccination camps are mainly to prevent spread of the infection in the district. At the fifth Mega Vaccination Camp held on October 10, the district had set up 1,075 camps, which was also the highest among nearby districts of Vellore and Ranipet, vaccinating 53, 875 persons, including 23,790 persons from Cheyyar block. At present, the district has a total of 19.62 lakh persons in the age group of 18 years and above. So far, 57% of the total population have been vaccinated in the district.
At present, the Tiruvannamalai municipality has a total of 39 wards covering key areas like Pallavan Nagar, Thenimalai, Samuthivam Kalani and Ajish Colony with a population of around 8 lakh. The easing of lockdown restrictions, especially since July 11, had increased the flow of traffic in the town with key routes like Tiruvannamalai Road, Vellore - Thoothukudi High Road, Perumpakkam Road, Polur Road and Avalurpettai Road witnessing pre-Covid levels of traffic congestion. In fact, most of these key routes connect the famous Arunachaleswarar temple to adjoining districts like Vellore, Tirupattur and Villupuram.