Coronavirus update: Intense lockdown in 5 Tamil Nadu cities: Here’s what will remain open, what won’t

india

Updated: Apr 26, 2020 13:37 IST

Five cities in Tamil Nadu, including the state capital of Chennai, have been put under an “intense lockdown” to check the spread of the highly infectious coronavirus disease or Covid-19 on Sunday.

Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami announced the tightening of restrictions on Friday. The government decided to tighten curbs under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, in select urban regions based on expert opinion as the number of infections rose.

The “intense lockdown” in Tamil Nadu comes in the middle of a nationwide shutdown ordered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month and extended to May 3.

The lockdown has been intensified for four days from Sunday till 9pm on Wednesday in Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai. Two smaller cities of Salem and Tirupur are under stricter restrictions for three days till 9pm on Tuesday.

Here what will remain open, what is shut and what people can do:

* People cannot step out of their houses even to buy groceries. “To vend vegetables and fruits, only mobile outlets shall be allowed,” the chief minister has said.

* Home delivery of food from restaurants is permitted but takeaways are also not allowed.

Also read: India reports 1,990 new Covid-19 cases, 49 deaths in 24 hours

* Authorities will carry out disinfection twice in the containment zones.

* Government-run Amma canteens that provide food at subsidised rates, ATMs, hospitals, laboratories, pharmacies and allied services like ambulances will function.

* During the intense shutdown, banks and central government offices are allowed only 33% of employees.

* Employees in sectors like information technology have been allowed to work from home but other private sector firms shall remain closed, the government has said.