The government of Tamil Nadu on Saturday, 21 August, announced some easing of COVID-19 restrictions in the state but extended the lockdown till 6 September.
The relaxations will come into effect from Monday, 23 August.
What are the relaxations? What are the new restrictions?
For which classes will schools be open?
Yes, Chief Minister MK Stalin released the Office of the Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Chennai order on Twitter, announcing that classes for students of Classes 9, 10, 11, and 12 will be permitted in all government, government-aided, and private schools from 1 September.
However, the classes will only be allowed 50 percent attendance at once and will need to ensure full compliance of COVID-19 SOPs.
Will colleges be allowed to function?
Yes, all colleges will be allowed to function from Monday, but on a rotational basis. All staff will be required to be vaccinated.
Till what time will shops be allowed to stay open?
All shops will be allowed to remain open till 10 pm.
Will movie theatres open?
Yes, movie theatres will be allowed to operate with 50 percent capacity.
Meanwhile, IT companies will be permitted to operate on full capacity.
Zoos will also be allowed to open with 50 percent capacity.
In a previous order, the Tamil Nadu government had extended the COVID-19 restrictions till 23 August, which included restraints on praying in places of worship on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, Livemint reported.
Tamil Nadu presently has 19,621 active COVID-19 cases and has reached a total of 25,97,603 infections and 34,663 deaths.
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