Following district Collector G.S. Sameeran’s Sunday order allowing commercial establishments to remain open till 10 p.m., shops across the city continued to function beyond 5 p.m., the earlier deadline for shops to close.
Shoppers continued to visit the shops and busy old town areas around Oppanakara Street, Raja Street, Thomas Street, and those in and around Gandhipuram like100 Feet Road were busy after dusk.
The extended business hours also saw traffic on streets in those areas even by 8 p.m.
Sources in the Coimbatore Corporation said Commissioner Raja Gopal Sunkara had instructed officials who were part of mobile monitoring teams and zonal enforcement teams to ensure that all shops shut by 10 p.m.
During the business hours, he wanted the teams to ensure that COVID-19 appropriate behaviour was adhered to, both by business establishments as well as shoppers.
In Tiruppur, president of the Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Owners’ Association Tiruppur M. Subramaniam told reporters that only 30% of the cinemas in the State have reopened on Monday following the lockdown relaxations. With only multiplexes being open to the public, the rest of the cinemas will likely reopen on September 3, he said.
About 40 movies are awaiting theatrical release, Mr. Subramaniam said. All cinemas and multiplexes will adhere to the COVID-19 safety protocols issued by the State government, he assured.
Meanwhile, the State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) operated eight buses to Karnataka and three buses to Tirupati from Coimbatore on Monday as the State government allowed inter-State bus transport to Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. An official said that the patronage was low on the first day and increasing the number of buses would depend on the demand.