Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government announced on Sunday that the public inquiry into class 12, the exclusion on Sundays and night clocks will be postponed from 22:00 to 04:00.
After K Palaniswami, Prime Minister, chaired a high-level meeting here to COVID-19 scenario in the state, the government has announced measures, including the Sunday closure to help prevent the rapid increase in the spread of viruses.
Although the public examination of class 12 will be postponed, the ongoing practicals will be carried out according to plan, the government said in an official statement. Originally, the government planned to hold the Higher Secondary Exam from May 3 to May 21.
Visits to beaches, zoos, parks, monuments, museums and all tourist destinations such as Nilgiris, Yercaud and Kodaikanal are prohibited on all days. Information technology and IT services businesses must employ at least 50 percent of the workers from home, the government said.
All types of shops, tea shops, groceries, restaurants, shopping malls, jewelery and textile showrooms are only open until 21:00 and at any given time the customers may not exceed 50 per cent of the capacity of such premises.
Examinations and classes of colleges and universities must be held online and there is no permission for summer camps. Special monitoring teams will be set up in all districts to ensure that the standards are strictly adhered to to prevent virus spread.
Hospitals and hotels can work together to set up Covid Care centers and health departments provide the necessary permission. To encourage the additional production of medical oxygen in Tamil Nadu, the Prime Minister has advised the Department of Industry to provide temporary licenses to enterprises.
During the night clock by the state, private and public transportation, including transportation by taxi, and taxis were not allowed. Intra-district and interstate transportation are also prohibited during the night clock.
For medical emergencies and to reach train stations or airports, private vehicles, taxis and cars may be used. Hospitals, pharmacies, petrol outlets, ongoing process industries and those involved in the manufacture of supplies may operate.
Essential services such as milk distribution and the management of ambulances, trucks and fuel trucks are also allowed during the night clock.
Full exclusion will be implemented from next Sunday, and all types of shops, retail stores, fish markets, cinemas, commercial complexes will remain, although essential services, including hospitals and key industries, will be released, the government said.
Tamil Nadu implemented Sunday lockout last year and the government reintroduced the restriction when it came out today COVID-19 cases exceeded the 10,000 mark for the first time during the current second wave of the pandemic.
During the exclusion of Sunday, restaurants are allowed to offer takeaway services (06: 00-10: 00, 12: 00-15: 00, 18: 00-21: 00), and food ordering and delivery companies such as Swiggy and Zomato can only work during the permitted periods. The only ‘maximum 100’ participant norm for weddings and 50 for funerals also applies on Sundays.
If prior permission has been obtained from authorities, temple dedications that have already been planned may proceed. However, only 50 people may participate in such events. The government that is considering holding such religious events is asked to postpone it.
Action will be taken against cinemas, wedding halls and restaurants if there are standards to prevent the spread of COVID-19 including wearing masks, social distance and ensuring the utilization of only 50 percent capacity is not met.
The government called on the people to work together to prevent the spread of the land COVID-19.
Source: Telangana Today