Chennai: Meat shops to remain shut for 12 days

CHENNAI: Slaughter houses and meat shops within the limits of Greater Chennai Corporation will remain shut during the total lockdown from June 19-June 30, the civic body announced on Thursday evening.
The corporation-administered slaughter houses are in Perambur, Villivakkam, Kallikuppam and Saidapet. A senior civic body official said this decision was taken to prevent crowds at meat shops which were seen regularly in the past few weeks. Such crowds can aid the spread of Covid-19 and the lockdown is being seen as a golden opportunity by the corporation to stem the spike. Since the government order on lockdown did not explicitly mention if meat shops could remain open, this clarification was issued by the corporation, the official said.
However, many on social media pointed out meat should have been considered as an essential item and the civic body should have allowed them with better regulation of physical distancing norms.