Tamil Nadu lockdown: Beaches closed on Sundays, schools for classes 9-12 to resume from Sep 1

Based on consultation with experts, the Tamil Nadu Government has extended the prevailing COVID-19 restrictions until 15th September. As per the latest guidelines, all beaches will be closed for the public on Sundays alone (starting Sep 5), no public worship, festivals to be permitted in places of worship on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. However, the decision to permit in-person classes for classes 9-12th and Colleges from September 1st remains unchanged. 

District authorities have also been empowered to enforce district-level control measures. Hostels attached to educational institutions and those that are meant for working men and women have also been permitted to re-open from September 1st. 

The establishments/institutions that are permitted to function are required to ensure that all staff are fully vaccinated. Institutions have been asked to make sure that students coming in from Kerala are vaccinated and have RT-PCR negative certificates.

Students have not attended physical classes for a long time, except for two months till the second wave of the pandemic struck earlier this year, leading to the shutting down of educational institutions.

The Tamil Nadu government have already directed the management of schools and colleges as well as teachers and student counsellors to focus mainly on the mental and emotional health of students.