Tamil Nadu Lockdown Guidelines: Curbs extended till May 30, one-week complete shutdown from May 24

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The COVID-19-related curbs have been extended in Tamil Nadu till May 30, said a statement issued by the state government on May 22. The official order further notes that a one-week complete lockdown would be imposed from May 24.

As per the tightened norms, that would remain in effect throughout the next week, all shops and establishments will remain shut in the state. Only home delivery of essential items including milk and groceries would be permitted.

The supply of vegetables and fruits would be provided to the general public by the Department of Horticulture in vehicles in all districts in collaboration with the concerned local bodies, local media reports said citing the order.

Emergency services including medical stores are permitted to remain open. Petrol pumps, ATMs, e-commerce activities (between 8 am and 6 pm), food deliveries through Zomato and Swiggy, and essential government departments are also allowed to operate.

Public movement is permitted only for urgent medical requirement or a death in the family. In case of inter-district movement, an e-pass would be necessitated.

The state government has allowed all shops to remain open on May 23 from 6 am to 9 pm to allow citizens to replenish their supplies for the coming week.

The current set of lockdown in Tamil Nadu was, before the extension order, scheduled to end on May 24. A team of medical experts in the state had recommended the MK Stalin-led government to extend the curbs by at least two weeks.

The southern Indian state is one of those severely affected by the second wave of COVID-19. The state reported the highest daily count on May 21, with 36,184 fresh infections being detected. In the corresponding period of last 24 hours, 467 more deaths due to the contagious disease were also reported. The active caseload in Tamil Nadu has surged to 2,74,629, and the positivity rate stood at 21.8 percent.