‘Foreign returnees who arrived after Mar. 1 must self-quarantine’

They will be monitored by officials of various departments and the police: govt.

March 24, 2020 12:54 am | Updated 12:54 am IST

Safety first: Police personnel being subjected to thermal screening at the Secretariat on Monday, as a precautionary measure against COVID-19. K.V. Srinivasan

Safety first: Police personnel being subjected to thermal screening at the Secretariat on Monday, as a precautionary measure against COVID-19. K.V. Srinivasan

As part of the lockdown in Tamil Nadu to combat COVID-19, the State government on Monday mandated “all suspected cases and foreign returnees who arrived after March 1 to remain under strict home quarantine for such period as decided by local health authorities”. They will be monitored on a daily basis by the officials of the district administration, the revenue department and the local bodies, as well as the police and health authorities.

During the lockdown period – from 6 p.m. on March 24 to 6 a.m. April 1 – the officials of the district administration and departments including the police, fire and rescue services, medical and public health, and jails, courts and local administration, will continue to function.

A government notification said all teachers and staff of educational institutions shall work from home till March 31, 2020, except where conduct of examinations/evaluation is required. “This, however, will not apply to Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University, the Medical Wing of Annamalai University and all (government, private, self-financing and deemed universities) medical, dental and nursing colleges, and these institutions will continue to function,” it added.

The government mandated IT and ITES companies to ensure employees work from home. Where it is not feasible to do so, units dealing with critical and essential services will continue to operate, taking all protective measures, it clarified.

Manufacturing units engaged in the production of essential commodities, agricultural commodities, agricultural inputs and food items, and wholesalers and retailers of such items, would be allowed to function with a limited workforce. As for the construction industry, only those involved in emergent construction work would be allowed to operate. “But salaries of the workers should not be deducted,” the CM said in the Assembly.

A government notification said all industries that are permitted to operate shall work at 50% of their strength on a rotation basis, and the same shall apply to export units and SEZs.

The following categories of transport would be allowed: ambulances; vehicles/cabs owned or contracted by companies under exempted categories for transportation of staff to workplace and back; all goods carriers (trucks, tempos, container trailers etc.); taxis to and fro from airport and from hospitals to home; hearse/funeral service vehicles; and government vehicles engaged in essential services/duties.

“Shops under exempted categories shall ensure there is no crowding at any given time, and that customers maintain social distancing of three feet between each other. The premises shall be cleaned and disinfected three times a day. They shall also ensure that sanitisers are provided at the entrance to all customers,” the government said.

Residents’ welfare associations should take necessary steps for social distancing and maintaining essential services. If any violation is found, the same shall be flagged with local bodies/local health authority by the president/secretary of RWAs. Only marriages already fixed on or before March 16 in wedding halls can be conducted, subject to a maximum of 30 guests. The halls must return the advance paid by the people for all cancelled bookings.

Departments of the Secretariat, key government departments, the police, fire & rescue services, courts, district administration, electricity and metro water, water supply, sewerage, local bodies, hospitals and all health-related establishments, treasuries, ration shops, Aavin and milk unions, and Amma canteens with adequate social distancing, have been exempted from the restrictions. Several Central government agencies have also been exempted.

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