Chennai, which is among the non-hotspot districts, will see a further easing of curbs. File
Amid a decline in daily Covid case counts, the Tamil Nadu government today extended the lockdown in the state by a week, till June 21, but eased the restrictions in place.
Chief Minister M K Stalin appealed to the people to follow Covid protocols. "People should extend full cooperation to the government's efforts," he said.
The state government has brought a separate set of relaxations for the 11 districts identified as hotspots.
In the 27 non-hotspot districts that include Chennai, salons, beauty parlours and spas can now open at 50 per cent customer capacity between 6 am and 5 pm. Such units cannot use air-conditioners, the guidelines say.
Liquor shops can function from 10 am to 5 pm and public parks will be open from 6 am to 9 am.
While classes in schools and colleges continue to remain suspended, admission-related work has now been allowed.
In these districts, export units and vendors have been allowed to operate with 50 per cent staff attendance. For other industries, staff attendance has been capped at 33 per cent. Offices of the IT sector can now operate with 20 per cent attendance or with a maximum of 10 employees.
All shops have been asked to ensure physical distancing, use of masks and temperature checks. They have also been asked to keep the air conditioners off.
Industrial workers can use two-wheelers after e-registration and must carry their ID cards, as per the guidelines.
Earlier, on June 5, the state government had relaxed several curbs on operation of shops and public movement in these districts.
In the 11 hotspot districts, auto-rickshaws and cabs can operate with two and three passengers, respectively, after e-registration on the state portal.
Housekeeping and security services have also been allowed in these districts. Electricians, plumbers and carpenters can now provide doorstep service in these areas after e-registration. Optical stores have been allowed to open between 9 am and 2 pm. Export units in the hotspot districts have been allowed to function at 25 per cent staff capacity.
Grocery shops and vegetable marts are already operating in these districts for a specified duration.
Tamil Nadu today recorded 15,759 cases and 378 deaths. The number of active cases in the state stands at 1,74,802.