E-Paper
Tamil Nadu allows places of worship to open on all days; beaches to open on Sundays from Nov 1
The state government said in a press release that all places of worship, which have so far remained closed on Fridays and the weekends, would now be open for people on all days of the week.
The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday announced more relaxations to the Covid-19 norms, including those for temples and shops, in view of the festival season in the state but extended the ongoing lockdown till October 31.
However, chief minister MK Stalin asked people to avoid crowding during the festivals, strictly follow Covid appropriate behaviour and get Covid-19 vaccines in the mega vaccination camps being conducted by the state to check the spread of the viral disease.
The state government said in a press release that all places of worship, which have so far remained closed on Fridays and the weekends, would now be open for people on all days of the week. Among other relaxations, shops, hotels, restaurants and other commercial establishments have been allowed to function till 11pm from Thursday, October 14, in view of people shopping for essential needs during the season.
Also read | TN to become first in country to administer Covid shots to children over 2 years
People can also visit beaches on Sundays too from November 1, the release said. The government partially reopened the beaches in August but kept them locked on Sundays to avoid overcrowding.
What changes from November 1?
Tuition centres and government and private employment programmes have been allowed to function from November 1. Notably, the government reopened schools for classes 9 to 12 in early September and for classes 1 to 8 on September 28.
The cap on attendance at weddings and funerals have also been relaxed slightly from November 1. While 100 people would be allowed during weddings and other ceremonies, funerals can take place with a maximum of 50 people. Before this, only 50 people were allowed in weddings and other ceremonies.
All district administrations have also been allowed to continue their public hearing programmes. Private exhibitions too would be permitted, conditional on adherence to Covid appropriate behaviour.
Playschools, nursery schools and Anganwadis can also be fully operational. However, the government has mandated vaccination against Covid-19 for the staff working in these schools. Meanwhile, the ban on political, social and cultural gatherings would prevail, the government noted.
Covid-19 situation in TN
The relaxations have been announced as Tamil Nadu continues to report upwards of 1,000 daily infections and is among the few states in India to still do so. The state government has tried to increase the vaccination rate through mega camps on Sundays and five such camps have been held so far.
On Wednesday, 1,280 new Covid-19 cases and 19 deaths were reported in the state as the total confirmed infections reached 2,682,137 and the death toll rose to 35,833, a health department bulletin showed.