Tamil Nadu extends Covid-19 lockdown till June 7; CM says ration card holders to receive 13 grocery items

The state-wide lockdown without relaxations to help break the chain of Covid-19 transmission has been extended till June 7 by one more week, Chief Minister M K Stalin announced here on Friday. He said the move was done considering public good to rein in the pandemic spread and appealed to the people to cooperate with the government and stay indoors.

Stalin said a pack of 13 grocery items would be distributed to rice category ration card holders through Public Distribution System shops from next month.

With the permission of local bodies, provision stores would be allowed to sell commodities in their respective areas through vehicles like mini cargo vans or pushcarts and online ordering firms too shall be permitted to deliver groceries, he said in a statement. Such services would be allowed between 7 am and 6 pm, he added.

The existing arrangement to sell vegetables and fruits in residential neighbourhoods through mobile outlets would also continue.

The Chief Minister said that Covid-19 related guidelines, including wearing a mask, following individual distancing and washing hands with soap and water or sanitisers should be adhered to.

A two-week lockdown was clamped on May 10 in Tamil Nadu with some relaxations and subsequently, it was extended by one more week, till May 31 and relaxations were withdrawn.

The additional restrictions between May 24 and 31 include closure of vegetable shops and provision stores, which were earlier allowed to work between 6 am and 10 am. All such curbs would continue to be implemented till June 7.