COVID-19: Weekly markets to be shut in Tamil Nadu; supermarkets, grocery stores to remain open

However, grocery shops which sell essential commodities, departmental stores, fruit shops, medical shops and eateries will function as usual.

People are spotted playing in Ranganathan street in T Nagar due to government announcement to stop public gatherings. (Photo| V Tharunmani, EPS)

CHENNAI: Leaving no stone unturned to prevent the spread of Coronavirus, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday ordered closure of all weekly sandhais (markets) along with big textile shops, jewellery shops and hypermarkets and big departmental which have centralised air conditioning, from Friday.

Further, public darshan in 14 major temples coming under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department will be stopped from 8 am on Friday till March 31.  

However, supermarkets and grocery stores which sell essential commodities, provision stores, fruit shops, medical shops and eateries will function as usual. In jewellery shops, a separate entrance can be created to help those who have placed orders to receive their jewels. A decision in this regard was taken by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday, after a high-level meeting.

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He appealed to the public to extend their cooperation to the preventive measures being taken by the government. The temples that would remain closed are: Madurai Meenakshi temple, Rameswaram temple, Srirangam Ranganathar temple, Samayapuram temple, Thiruvaiyaru temple, Suchindram temple, Tiruvannamalai temple, Triplicane Parthasarathy temple, Kancheepuram Ekambaranathar temple, Palani, Tiruchendur, Vadapalani and Tiruttani Murugan temples, and Kapaleeswarar temple.

Similarly, district collectors have been instructed to talk to the concerned persons in the mosques/dargahs/churches, to ensure that visit for the public is suspended till March 31. Southern Railway has been requested to reduce the number of trains from other States.

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The Chief Minister has also directed that special hospitals with all facilities for isolated persons should be created in all districts. Health Department officials are ordered to counsel the persons who have been home quarantined regularly and provide medical advice to them.

Masks, hand gloves, shoes etc. that are required for sanitation personnel should be provided in sufficient numbers. Disinfectants should be sprayed twice a day in places where the public gather in corporations, municipalities, town panchayats and village panchayats. 

Likewise, disinfectants have to be sprayed thrice a day in courts, airports, railway stations, metro rail stations, bus stations and ports. The CM also said steps should be taken to allow the IT sector employees, those who are working in the MSME sector and big industrial houses to work at home.