CHENNAI: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday announced that the lockdown period in Tamil Nadu will be extended for one more month till October 31 with more relaxations.
However, schools, colleges, and all educational institutions, theatres, swimming pools, entertainment, and amusement parks, large auditoriums, beaches, zoological parks, museums, tourist spots, and the places where people gather in large numbers will remain closed.
The ban on religious and political gatherings, processions, educational and cultural events will continue.
The restrictions on international flight service except for those routes allowed by Union Home Ministry will continue. Sub-urban trains will not be operated. Enforcement of Section 144 will continue.
Palaniswami, in a statement here, said the lockdown period has been extended based on the discussions with the District Collectors, Health Experts committee, and senior Ministers. While the restrictions will be enforced strictly in the containment zones, the relaxations would be in force in the non-containment zones, he added.
The Chief Minister said the hotels and tea shops would be allowed to function between 6 a.m and 9 p.m while takeaways will be allowed till 10 p.m. Film shootings are allowed with 100 persons at a time and without any spectators. He said from October 1, 100 flights from other States can land at Chennai airport. So far only 50 flights were allowed. However, there won't be any change in the number of flights that land in the airports at Coimbatore, Trichy, Madurai, Thoothukudi, and Salem.
The government and government-related training institutes will be allowed to function as per the Standard Operating Procedure. Besides, the weekly markets in rural and urban areas would be allowed to function.
The Chief Minister said G.O issued on September 24 for allowing students of Classes 10 to 12 to come to their schools on a voluntary basis from October 1 is being withheld in accordance with the views expressed by the District Collectors and Health Experts Committee. This issue would be reviewed at an appropriate date in the coming days.
Appealing to the people to adhere to the guidelines issued by the government for preventing the spread of Corona infection, the Chief Minister said depending on the changing situations, more relaxations would be given in accordance with the requirement.
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