Chennai: Tamil Nadu on Friday announced further intensifying of lockdown measures across five municipalities, including Chennai, that have seen a rise in cases in recent weeks, with further crackdown on clusters and additional clamps on existing norms.
The intensified curbs will kick in from Sunday morning in Chennai, Coimbatore, and Madurai, and will be in effect till Wednesday late evening. For Salem and Tiruppur, the lockdown is shorter by a day. Across these five municipalities, a total of 725 positive cases have been reported so far.
Despite the lockdown in place, urban centres in the state have been seeing queues outside grocery shops and meat outlets in breach of social distancing norms. The government is looking at tightening the noose in these areas.
According to a government press release on Friday, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said the coronavirus spread was edging out of control in urban municipalities and it compelled the authorities to intensify the restrictions.
The government listed essential medical services such as hospitals and ambulances, and diagnostic centres that would continue to operate in these areas.
Home delivery services provided by companies like Swiggy and Zomato will also function, but standalone grocery stores and other shops such as bakeries, which have been functioning for a truncated period, will have to shut shop.
Licenced wholesale vegetable markets, including the Koyambedu market will be allowed to operate, so as government-authorised vegetable pushcarts. The government’s subsidised ‘Amma Canteens’ will also remain open.
Information technology and and ITeS establishments will continue to work from home, while other private companies continue to keep shutters down.
The containment zones in these municipalities would come under severe disinfection cover.
Twice a day, all containment zones will be disinfected. The government has warned strict measures against lockdown violators.
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