The Tamil Nadu government has decided to ban beach gatherings for two days during New Year celebrations to contain the Omicron spread.
Amid the rising fears of the Omicron variant spread across the country, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to issue fresh guidelines for New Year celebrations. As per the new guidelines, public gatherings at all beaches have been banned for December 31 and January 1.
These guidelines have been issued as part of COVID-19 preventative measures in the state, according to the administration. Apart from the beach gathering restrictions in the state, the Tamil Nadu government has also announced several relaxations for the public.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced that classes for students from Standard 6-12 and higher education institutions will no more be held on a rotational basis but will be 'normal' from next month, as reported by PTI.
CM Stalin made these announcements after a review meeting of the COVID-19 pandemic situation in Tamil Nadu was conducted on Monday, especially in the wake of the emergence of the latest Omicron variant in neighbouring states.
The Tamil Nadu government further said that all the COVID-19 restrictions in the state have been extended till December 31. This means that the existing restrictions on social, cultural, and political meetings would continue.
"There will be no access to people to all the beaches on December 31, 2021, and January 1, 2022, as part of the measures aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19," an official release quoting Stalin said. This curb has been issued as beaches in the state are flooded with residents and travelers for New Year celebrations each year.
Among relaxations, the state government has allowed swimming pools to function. Further, to address a shortcoming in learning skills by school-going students and considering their future, classes 6-12 will no more be held on a rotational basis from January 3, 2022, onwards but will be normal, the release said.
The chief minister further said that following the emergence of Omicron variant cases in the neighbouring states- Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh- people should avoid crowding in the ensuing festival season and follow COVID-19 protocol including the use of face-mask and social distancing and get vaccinated.
Till now, over 40 cases of the Omicron variant have been detected across India. The most number of cases have emerged from Maharashtra, while Rajasthan has the second-highest number of Omicron cases in the country.
(With PTI inputs)
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