Tamil Nadu Covid lockdown news live: State reports 20,421 fresh cases, 434 deaths in last 24 hours

The number of active cases in Tamil Nadu has reduced by 22 % in the past 10 days. From 3.13 lakh on May 27, it has dropped to 2.44 lakh currently. Read more

Police on Sunday morning booked a woman for abusing traffic personnel in Chetpet after her daughter was fined for violating lockdown norms. The action came a couple of hours after a video of the woman, who gave her name as Tanuja Kanthulla and claimed to be an advocate, went viral on social media and a head constable lodged a complaint. Read more

The state government, considering the Covid-19 pandemic, will provide dry ration including rice, dhal, and eggs to 33 lakh students in Classes I to VIII enrolled under the noon meal programme for the vacation period in May. Under the scheme, students enrolled in Classes I to V will receive 3.1kg rice,1.2kg dhal and10 eggs a month. Students in Classes VI to VIII will receive 4.6kg rice and 1.2kg dhal and 10 eggs a month.

The Tamil Nadu government’s hope of getting Covid-19 vaccine through a global tender was crushed as there were no takers till 11am on Saturday — the last day for tender submission. The winning bidder was to supply the vaccine within 180 days, progressively from the date of the purchase order. The state was left with 1.52 lakh doses on Saturday morning. If the stock gets over by the weekend, the state will have to pause the drive until fresh stock arrives, officials said. The state wanted a vaccine that can be stored in 2°C–8°C. The state government, along with Tamil Nadu Medical Service Corporation, will decide on further course of action.

School principals and educationists on Saturday welcomed the state government’s decision cancelling the Class XII state board exams keeping in mind the ongoing pandemic and students’ safety. Since there was no common quarterly or halfyearly exam for Class XII students, principals urged the state government to consider the students’ Class XI exam marks while computing results. The state government on Saturday announced that it would form a committee headed by the school education secretary to decide on the modalities to award marks to Class XII students.

City police commissioner Shankar Jiwal on Saturday visited the Covid care centres set up at Anna University and police barracks in Egmore. A majority of patients admitted to the facilities are police personnel and their kin. Jiwal was accompanied by officers including the Mylapore deputy commissioner of police (DCP) E T Samson, deputy commissioner of police of central crime branch (CCB) V Balasubramanian. All visiting officers were wearing PPEs and social distancing was maintained at all times. Jiwal handed over food and fruits to patients in the facilities and inquired about their health. He briefly interacted with Dr Abinaya, the duty doctor at the Anna University facility, and other healthcare workers at the facility to find out about the cleanliness and accommodation arrangements at the centre.

In a significant ruling, Madras high court has held that service tax would not be applicable on ‘take-away’ in restaurants and hotels. Justice Anita Sumanth passed the order while allowing a batch of pleas moved by popular chain of restaurants, including Anjappar, Thalappakatti and Sangeetha Hotels, challenging the notices issued by the commissioner of GST and central excise demanding service tax for ‘take-away’ orders. The bench held that such provision of food and drink ‘taken-away’ from restaurants would tantamount to only sale and notconsumptionatthe restaurant attracting service tax. “In most restaurants, there is a separate counter for collection of the take-away food parcels. Orders are received either over telephone, by e-mail, online booking or through a food delivery service,” the judge said.

The state reported 21,410 new Covid-19 cases and 443 deaths on Saturday, when 32,472 people were discharged from the state active cases registry. At the end of the day, Tamil Nadu had 2.5 lakh active cases. The weekly average of cases in the state dropped to 25,299 and the weekly average recoveries increased to 32,354 on Saturday. On May 29, the state had a weekly average of 33,265 new cases and 29,109 recoveries. The average number of deaths reported every day, however, has been between 480 and 473 for the past six days compared to 469 on May 29. “We are seeing a slow decline in deaths almost every day,” said director of public health Dr T S Selvavinayagam. Compared to 490 deaths on May 1, the state reported 463 on Friday and 443 on Saturday, he pointed out.

Law minister S Raghupathy on Friday said the Tamil Nadu government would soon declare all prison department staff as frontline warriors and chief minister M K Stalin would announce incentives for them. The minister launched a vaccination camp at the Pudukottai district sub-jail and the Borstal school for boys and girls. “The chief minister will soon issue an government order stating that prison staff are frontline warriors and issue incentives for them too,” he told reporters.

The state received about 213 tonnes of liquid medical oxygen by three trains on Saturday. Three more trains carrying another about 274 tonnes are on the way. The trains brought 75.8 tonnes of liquid oxygen from Bhilai in Chhattisgarh to Trichy, 80.6 tonnes from Rourkela in Odisha to Irugur near Coimbatore and 56.04 tonnes Dolvi in Maharashtra to Chennai. With this, Tamil Nadu has received 2,922.82 tonnes of oxygen so far by trains. Of this, Tondiarpet in Chennai has got1,552.39 tonnes of oxygen so far. Trains have been bringing medical oxygen to Tondiarpet, Tiruvallur, Milavittan, Vadipatti, Trichy and Irugur, Kudalnagar, Madukkarai and Chennai harbour.

The active Covid-19 cases came down by half in 16 days in the Union territory of Puducherry. The territory reported 613 fresh cases even as 1,312 patients recovered in the last 24 hours ending at 10am on Saturday bringing down the active cases to 8,783. The active cases a fortnight ago stood at 18,277 (May 20). Puducherry headquarters reported the maximum fresh cases with 470 followed by Karaikal (106), Yanam (21) and Mahe (21). Puducherry headquarters has the maximum active cases with 6,804 followed by Karaikal (1,501), Yanam (280) and Mahe (198).

In view of the Covid-19 second wave in several parts of Tamil Nadu and considering the possibility of a third wave, chief minister M K Stalin on Saturday announced cancellation of Class XII state board exams. A committee headed by school education secretary will decide on the evaluation criteria to award marks to Class XII students and college admissions will be done based on those marks, the CM said. The decision comes three days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi cancelled CBSE Class XII board exams. Stalin also wrote a letter to the PM on Saturday urging him to cancel national-level entrance exams such as NEET as the “reasons stated for cancelling Class XII exams are applicable for entrance exams too”. “I am of the strong view that conducting national-level exams would be immensely detrimental to the health of students,” the CM said in his letter. “Our state may be allowed to fill all professional seats, including MBBS seats, on the basis of Class XII marks alone as we have always emphasized. I am sure that you would appreciate the fairness of my request and will act upon it favourably,” the CM said.

Curbs on public and private bus transport and metro rail will continue. Takeaway services will continue to be permitted in restaurants, hotels, bakeries and mess from 6am to 10am, noon to 3pm and from 6pm to 9pm. People employed in private organisations and IT/ITES companies must work from home.

No activity will be permitted in containment zones across the state. Orders have been issued to the Greater Chennai Corporation commissioner and the respective district collectors to strictly enforce Covid management directives including wearing of face masks and social distancing

Activities permitted so far, including sale of vegetables and fruits in mobile vehicles, will continue in all districts, the statement said. Tasmac outlets, tea shops, standalone shops other than those selling groceries, vegetables and fruits, commercial malls, textile and jewellery showrooms and cinema theatres will remain closed.

Residents across Tamil Nadu can now buy vegetables and groceries from 6am to 5pm starting Monday as the state government on Saturday tweaked norms for the lockdown and extended it by a week till June 14. Chief minister M K Stalin, while announcing the extension of the statewide shutdown, allowed shops selling essential commodities to reopen and government offices to resume work with 30% staff.