Tamil Nadu lockdown: Textile and jewellery showrooms to reopen in 23 districts from today

Tamil Nadu government on Sunday allowed to re-open textile and jewellery showrooms as part of the relaxation in lockdown norms from June 28. Only 22 districts of Tamil Nadu have been provided relaxations as part of the easing of lockdown amid the receding second Covid-19 wave.

The 23 districts in the second category include Ariyalur, Cuddalore, Dharmapuri, Dindigul, Kallakurichi, Kanyakumari, Krishnagiri, Madurai, Perambalur, Pudukottai, Ramanathapuram, Ranipet and Sivaganga.

The additional relaxation was given following pleas and opinions from people and traders' bodies, an official release said.

Textile showrooms and jewellery stores can operate without air-conditioning and allow only 50% of the customers at a time between 9 am and 7 pm, the release, quoting Chief Minister M K Stalin, said.

Earlier, the government had allowed a number of relaxations with effect from Monday, after categorising the 38 districts in the state into three separate groups keeping in view the COVID-19 cases for the purpose of easing curbs.

The first category of 11 districts--seven in western parts (including Coimbatore) and four in the Cauvery delta region like Thanjavur, have a relatively higher number of COVID-19 cases.

Places of worship will be allowed to be open in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, and Chengalpet districts and resumption of public transport among others in the 23 districts coming under the second one.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday (June 25) announced the extension of the tightened COVID-19 lockdown by one more week. The ongoing lockdown will now end on July 5 at 6 pm.