Tamil Nadu has reported over 1,800 Coronavirus cases and 22 deaths so far with 452 cases alone in state capital Chennai.
People queue up to collect foodgrains at a ration shop during the nationwide lockdown in Chennai. (Photo: IANS)
With total shutdown set to kick-in in five cities on Sunday in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister K Palaniswami has ordered essential shops to be open till 3 pm on Saturday.
During lockdown essential shops were allowed to function between 6 am to 1 pm.
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With the risk of Coronavirus spreading further in densely populated cities, Palaniswami on Friday at review meeting took the decision to intensify lockdown in five cities — Chennai, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Salem and Madurai — from April 26 to April 28.
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The shutdown will start at 6 am on Sunday and continue 9 pm on Wednesday. Two smaller cities – Salem and Tirupur – will be shut for three days.
According to him, sanitisation of containment zones will be done twice a day in the state. He said only work-from- home is permitted for software companies and other private companies should not function in these five districts.
Only hospitals, pharmacies, state-run shops providing essential services, government-run Amma canteens that provide food at subsidised rates, ATMs, restaurants offering home delivery, mobile vegetable and fruit shops will be allowed. Other shops are not allowed to open during this period of intense shutdown.
Essential services departments in the state secretariat, health, revenue, disaster management, electricity, milk, water supply departments, other central and state government offices with 33 per cent staff strength, old age homes and orphanages, community kitchens run by district/local administrations, service organisations for the benefit of poor with government permission and will also be allowed to function.
Following the chief minister’s order that vegetable shops and grocery stores will remain open till 3 pm today, panic buying of essential goods was witnessed in the major cities.
Tamil Nadu has reported over 1,800 Coronavirus cases and 22 deaths so far with 452 cases in state capital Chennai, 141 in Coimbatore, 110 in Tirupur, 56 in Madurai 56 and 30 in Salem.
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