PUDUCHERRY: Puducherry UT administration has announced a complete lockdown from Tuesday till April 30, in an attempt to contain the fresh surge in COVID-19 cases. The decision was taken after a high-level meeting chaired by Lieutenant Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan.
The UT was already observing the night curfew from 10 PM to 5 AM every day. All other activities have been restricted and only certain essential activities have been permitted, according to an order issued by the government.
Accordingly, provisional stores, vegetable and fruits shops, groceries, dairy and milk booth, meat and fish, animal fodder will function. Big format shops, shopping complexes and malls, selling food items and provisions do not have permission to operate during this period.
Routine maintenance of the malls and other closed establishments is permitted.
Restaurants and eateries cannot offer dine-in services and only home delivery and takeaway are permitted. Even teashops are disallowed to operate.
In hotels and lodges, food is to be served to the guests in their rooms and not in the restaurants attached.
Hospitals, medical labs, pharmaceuticals, opticians, medicines and medical equipment, distribution of newspapers, ambulance and hearse vehicle services, medical and its allied activities, all medical emergency cases are permitted.
Goods transport and public passenger transport (buses/auto/taxies), vehicles carrying agricultural produce of farmers, agriculture and its allied activities shall be permitted. The passengers shall be restricted to the seating capacity only. Rental vehicles and taxis including cab aggregation is permitted to ply with three passengers excluding the driver. Autos is permitted to ply with two passengers excluding the driver.
Marriages and other related gatherings must have a guest list limited to 50 while funerals cannot have over 25 participants.
Industrial production units have been permitted to operate.
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