Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Friday announced the extension of the State-wide lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 by another week till 6 a.m. on June 7. But some of the conditions have been relaxed.
Grocery shops, which were ordered closed in the current phase of the lockdown, will be allowed to sell essentials on carts or vehicles in their localities between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. with permission from the local bodies. “The provision stores will also be allowed to receive orders online or on the phone and deliver supplies at the customer’s doorstep between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.,” Mr. Stalin said.
The Chief Minister instructed the Department of Cooperation and Consumer Protection to distribute a kit of 13 provisions to every rice ration card-holder through the Public Distribution System outlets for June.
A senior official told The Hindu that the relaxation would come into effect only from May 31. He said the kit consisting of 13 essential items would be distributed free of cost.
“The sale of vegetables and fruits through mobile shops, now being allowed in all districts, will continue,” Mr. Stalin clarified.
The decision to extend the lockdown beyond the morning of May 31 was taken to save lives, and was based on a district-wise review of the situation he had undertaken, he said.
Mr. Stalin reiterated the need for people to use masks, maintain physical distance at public places, wash hands at regular intervals and use disinfectants and sanitisers. He also insisted that people undertake a COVID-19 test at a nearby hospital soon after they noticed symptoms.
A lockdown has been imposed across Tamil Nadu since March last year, with the conditions relaxed depending on the spread of the pandemic. On May 22, the government announced an intense lockdown until 6 a.m. on May 31.
