It also warned shutting down places that witness crowding and said door-to-door inspection would be carried out at containment zones to arrest the rise.

During a meeting he convened with senior IAS and IPS officers, Chief Minister MK Stalin discussed extending lockdown in view of the marginal increase in fresh cases in some parts of Tamil Nadu and also about the situation in neighbouring states.

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“Several curbs were eased in the last few weeks. But cases are increasing now due to overcrowding in few places. If the lockdown relaxations provided for the betterment of the livelihood of people are not implemented properly, then the impact will be severe. So the District Collectors and police officers were directed to strictly follow the restrictions,” Stalin said after the meeting. According to the lockdown order, the Chief Minister directed the officials to shut down places where people crowd more resulting in rapid spread of the pandemic. In containment zones, only essential services are permitted, and door-to-door checking would be carried out, it added. The government also instructed all shops to serve only a limited number of customers at a time and that the clients maintained social distancing while waiting outside.