Cinemas, places of worship, bars to be closed from Monday

State announces more curbs as part of measures to arrest rising COVID cases

Cinemas, places of worship, malls, bars and salons must be shut effective April 26, the Tamil Nadu government announced on Saturday reintroducing more curbs following surging cases.

People from abroad and other states shall be allowed entry to TN only if they have registered in the portal http://eregister. tnega.org and information on registration should be produced to authorities on arrival. Those from Puducherry are exempted from the e-registration norm.

Recreation clubs, all types of bars, auditoriums, big format shops, shopping complexes and malls shall not be allowed to operate. Cabs and autos can operate with restriction of three passengers in cars and two passengers in autos. In all corporation and municipal areas, beauty parlours, spas and salons are not allowed and only takeaway services should be offered in restaurants, hotels and tea shops. “In all places of worship, there will be no permission for the public to offer worship,” the government said. However, there was no bar on employees continuing with usual worship and prayer sessions, it added.

The general public would not be allowed in temple consecration functions too. Sporting activities, except those related to international and national level events, would not be permitted. Not more than 50 people may assemble for marriages and for funerals the upper limit is 25. Current restrictions like night curfew and Sunday lockdown would continue. Groceries and retail outlets would operate as usual and department stores could function without using AC and by sticking to the ‘50 per cent’ customer capacity norm. Shops selling vegetables will be allowed to be open from 5 am, while food delivery by Zomoto, Swiggy will be permitted from 6 to 10 am, 12 noon to 3 pm and 6 to 8 pm. Milk distribution, medical emergency vehicles, ambulances and mortuary vans will be allowed. The control room can be contacted at 044 23452 330 and 23452 362.

Meanwhile, the State Level bankers’ committee said that from Monday, bank branches in Tamil Nadu would operate from 10 am to 2 pm.