TN shuts down as part of Sunday plan
CHENNAI: A total lockdown, without any relaxation, was imposed across Tamil Nadu on Sunday as part of the state government’s efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19). Roads remained deserted and shops were shut for the entirety of the day.
The state government had earlier announced that an intense lockdown would be imposed on all four Sundays in July across Tamil Nadu and only health care services, including pharmacies and hospitals, will be functional.
People remained indoors across the state, as no commercial activities were witnessed. Shops, including those selling vegetables and groceries, were closed in many parts and there was no vehicular traffic on key roads in the state.
Additionally, police personnel were also posted at strategic junctions to ensure total implementation of the lockdown.
Earlier, the government had announced a complete lockdown from June 19 to July 5 in
Chennai and its neighbouring districts of Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Chengalpet.
According to officials, relaxations will start in these districts from Monday, with the government allowing extension of business hours for vegetable shops, provision stores and restaurants, which can only serve takeaway orders. However, curbs would continue in Madurai and nearby areas till July 12.
Tea shops, closed since June 19, could resume functioning, while all kinds of showrooms, including textiles and jewellery, not situated in malls can open for business, chief minister K Palaniswami had said on Saturday.
IT firms and other private companies can also resume activity with safety precautions in place.
Tamil Nadu has the second highest number of virus cases in the country, behind Maharashtra, with a case count of 111,151, as of Sunday.
Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chengalpet and Madurai are among the worstaffected districts in the state due to Covid-19. 6,625 4,729
Daily cases
Daily cases 428 299 7-day average
Despite being the fourth worst-hit state in the country in terms of total cases and the third worst in terms of deaths, Gujarat has one of the lowest number of ‘active cases’ in proportion to the total caseload. The active case count in the state stood at 8,058 as on Saturday night — meaning only 22% of all cases in the western state were ‘active’