The four-day “complete lockdown” in Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai, scheduled to end late on Wednesday evening, would not be extended, according to a G.O. issued on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the three-day 'complete lockdown' in Salem and Tiruppur drew to a close on Tuesday.
Consequently, grocery stores and neighbourhood vegetable and fruit shops, closed since Sunday, would be permitted to resume functioning from 6 a.m. to 1 pm in the five cities.
According to the G.O., after the 'complete lockdown', the respective District Collectors and the Commissioner of the Greater Chennai Corporation would implement the COVID-19 lockdown till May 3, as ordered earlier with certain conditions.
A senior official told The Hindu: “There would be no extension of the complete lockdown after April 29 for Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai. However, the lockdown conditions that prevailed earlier (before the complete lockdown) would continue till May 3.”
The G.O., however, directed all Collectors “to intensify their efforts in containment zone management to prevent the spread of disease”.
Cash assistance
In another development, the State government sanctioned cash assistance of ₹1,000 each to more registered members of denotified communities, ulemas and other labour welfare boards. A total of 30,591 more registered members from denotified communities and 10,851 registered ulemas would benefit from the SDRF funds. A G.O. in this regard was issued on Monday.
The Revenue and Disaster Management Department has also sanctioned additional funds to the tune of ₹20 crore from the State Disaster Response Fund to 528 town panchayats to continue disinfection activities for containing COVID-19.
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