Tamil Nadu extends coronavirus lockdown till June 30 but with more relaxations

A day after the Centre announced lockdown exit plan 'Unlock 1', the Tamil Nadu government today extended the lockdown till June 30. Chief Minister K Palaniswami, however, allowed partially opening up of public transport services.

Under the new rules from tomorrow, private companies are also allowed to have more employees in their premises. IT companies and IT-enabled services can function with 20% employees, upto a maximum of 40 persons.

No relaxation has been given to religious places, inter-state bus transport, and Metro and suburban train services. Pubic transport will resume with reduced services from June 1, but buses will not be operated in Chennai, Kancheepurm, Tiruvallur and Chengalpet districts having the highest concentration of COVID-19 cases in the state.

"All districts will be divided into 8 zones. E-pass not necessary for movement. Public transportation restricted in 7 zones of Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu and Thiruvallur district and 8 zones of Chennai," the government said.

Private stage carriers will be allowed to operate in authorised routes, Palaniswami said. At office and factories, more employees are now allowed if they are not in containment zones. Under the new rules, showrooms and jewellery shops can also be re-opened outside of containment zones.

Shopping malls will remain shut across the state during lockdown.

"To prevent the spread of coronavirus, the curfew is being extended till June 30 under the State Disaster Management Act and as per the Union Home Ministry's notification," the chief minister said in a statement.

Tamil Nadu is among the states worst affected by the coronavirus pandemic. It witnessed the biggest single-day spike of 938 new coronavirus cases on Saturday taking the infection count to 21,184.

The Centre had on Saturday announced 'Unlock 1", a graded exit plan from the lockdown that allowed, among others, reopening places of religious worship and restaurants.