After Karnataka, Tamil Nadu government has gone ahead and announced complete lockdown in the state for two weeks starting May 10, to control the spread of COVID-19. As per multiple media reports, there are restrictions on e-commerce excerpt Dunzo, Swiggy and Zomato. The state-run liquor outlets operated by Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC), all bars, spas, gyms, beauty parlours, saloons, auditoria, cinema theatres, recreation clubs and amusement and zoological parks will be shut during this period.
Existing restrictions regarding places of worship, cap on attendees in wedding and death-related events will continue while educational institutions will remain closed. Inter and intra-district public and private bus services will be suspended while hire taxies and auto rickshaws cannot ply.
Among those allowed to work during the lockdown period include media, courier firms, hospitals and related services, fuel outlets, continuous process industries, data centers, and telecom services. State-run Amma Canteens will remain open, platform vendors selling vegetables and flowers can do so till 12pm and fair price shops will work from 8am to 12 noon, he said.
Tamil Nadu had witnessed 26,465 new coronavirus cases on Friday, pushing the caseload to 13.23 lakh while a record 197 deaths in the last 24 hours took the toll to 15,171. According to the health department, the active cases stood at 1,35,355.
Earlier, Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa had announced lockdown-like restrictions with curbs from May 10 to May 24 in view of the alarming rise in COVID cases. There was already a curfew in place in the state from April 27, which was to end on May 12.
"The second wave of COVID-19 is creating havoc across the state as the Corona curfew imposed in the state has not yielded the expected result in reducing the infection and death rate," the chief minister said. "Therefore, the government has decided to impose a stringent measure to check the spread of the disease and death. Restriction will be imposed in the entire state from 6am of May 10 to 6am of May 24," he said.
All shops and commercial establishments, hotels, pubs and bars will remain closed during this period, Yediyurappa said. Essential goods and services like food, medicine, milk, fruits and vegetables will be available from 6am to 10am, he added.
-Inputs from PTI
