Unlocking TN: Colleges to reopen on Dec 7, beaches and tourist places from Dec 14

CHENNAI: After eight months, the beaches in Tamil Nadu will be made accessible to the public from December 14. 

Announcing the State government’s plan to ease lockdown curbs further from Tuesday, in line with the measures to revive the economy, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said social, political and entertainment events would be allowed in auditoriums from that day.

Palaniswami also said that colleges for final year undergraduate students pursuing arts, science, technical engineering, agriculture, fisheries, and veterinary sciences will reopen from December 7. Medical and allied colleges (undergraduate and postgraduate) will also be permitted to function from that day. Moreover, all hostels will open their doors to be in sync with resuming colleges. However, classes for students admitted for the academic year 2020-2021, will reopen only on February 1, 2021.

The Chief Minister’s statement said the lockdown that has been in force in the State since March 25 this year has been extended till the midnight of December 31, under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, with various relaxations.

What's open

The fresh guidelines allow beaches and other tourist places in the state to reopen for the public on December 14. Exhibition halls shall also be permitted to function, only for business purpose.

Social, political, entertainment, and religious gatherings in closed spaces, with a maximum of 50 per cent of the hall capacity or with 200 persons, shall be permitted from December 1 to 31. For events in Chennai, prior permission shall be obtained from the Commissioner of Police, and in other districts, from the respective district collectors. Based on the Covid situation, a decision on open-air meetings shall be taken.

Further, entry into swimming pools shall be permitted for sports training.

What's restricted

All international air travel, except for the purposes permitted by the Ministry of Home Affairs, will remain prohibited till the midnight of December 31. The existing e-registration system shall continue to be in force for all those coming into the State, except those from Puducherry, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Standard Operating Procedures that have been prescribed for activities such as the movement of passenger trains, air travel, metro trains, schools and other educational institutions, hotels and restaurants, shopping malls, multiplex and entertainment parks, yoga centres and gymnastics, assemblies, and congregations, shall be strictly enforced by the concerned district authorities, the guidelines states.

Other rules and regulations shall be followed in containment zones as per the earlier instructions without any relaxations. A GO to this regard has been issued by Chief Secretary K Shanmugam, on behalf of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department.