BackTamil Nadu alters Covid protocols; malls, theatres to run at 50% capacity
Tamil Nadu reported 1,155 new cases of coronavirus on Friday, up from the 890 a day before
PremiumWith Covid-19 cases surging across Tamil Nadu, the state government on Friday imposed additional Covid-19 curbs to be in effect till 31 January.
According to the new rules, dine-in services at restaurants, hotels and bakeries should be restricted to 50 % of the capacity, while amusement parks can be operated only with a similar number of persons.
The 50% cap will also apply to textile showrooms, jewellery shops, gyms and yoga centres, multiplex/cinema theatres (of the allowed seats), beauty spas and salons and indoor games.
Metro rail services here can operate only with 50% seating capacity, while only seated passengers will be allowed in government bus services. Participants in weddings should be restricted to 100 while only 50 persons would be allowed in death-related events.
All employees in commercial establishments should have been vaccinated against Covid-19. Further, action will be taken if mask-wearing is not followed by establishments and customers.
While playschools and kindergarten sections will not run, there will also not be any direct classes for standards 1-8 till 10 January, Chief Minister MK Stalin announced after holding a review meeting to take stock of the coronavirus situation and the spread of its latest variant Omicron.
Classes for standards 9-12, colleges and ITIs will be held in compliance with Standard Operating Procedures while existing guidelines will apply for places of worship.
"All exhibitions and book fairs are being postponed," said Stalin.
Urging people to get vaccinated, the chief minister also stressed on other covid-appropriate behaviour such as wearing face mask.
As part of virus containment measures, Test-Track-Treat-Vaccination-Covid-19 Appropriate Behaviour will be strictly implemented, Stalin said.
Further, only essential services should be allowed in containment zones while door-to-door survey by committees in such areas will also be undertaken to prevent the spread of the contagion, he said.
Those violating pandemic containment measures will be fined, the CM warned.
He appealed to people to refrain from crowding during the coming festive season and stressed on social distancing and wearing of mask.
This comes as Tamil Nadu reported 1,155 new cases of coronavirus on Friday, up from the 890 a day before.
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