Covid-19 lockdown in Tamil Nadu: No time restriction on restaurants, grocery shops

Mar 26, 2020, 07.01 PM IST

CHENNAI: Extending the prohibitory orders until April 14 in the state in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nation-wide lockdown, Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday made a slew of announcements, including allowing restaurants and grocery shops to function without any time restrictions during the day.

The announcements were made after the chief minister held a meeting with the district collectors through videoconferencing.

To avoid crowding in vegetable markets/sandies, the collectors were told to set up shops selling vegetables and fruits in vast vacant lands and playgrounds, and social distancing norms of 3ft distance should be maintained. “The norms should be strictly followed in grocery shops, pharmacies and vegetable shops,” an official press release quoting chief minister said.

The government has already extended permission to ecommerce ventures like Grofers, Amazon, Big Basket, Flipkart and Dunzo to supply essential commodities at the doorstep of customers. The permission has been extended to other companies, local grocery shops and cooperative stores. However, the ban on the supply of cooked food by the aggregators like Zomato, Swiggy, Uber Eats and others will continue.

“Private banks, small financial institutions and self-help groups should suspend daily/weekly/monthly collection of interest and capital until further orders. Legal action will be initiated against the violators,” the release said.

Medicines should be supplied for two months to pregnant women and people suffering from blood pressure, diabetes, tuberculosis and HIV-infected, who avail the services of government hospitals.

Helpdesks will be set up in Greater Chennai Corporation office and district collectorates to ensure uninterrupted movement of essential commodities. The district collectors and Greater Chennai Corporation commissioner will provide certificates for the commodity, while Tamil Nadu Medical Service Corporation, deans and joint directors of medical and rural health services and deputy directors of health services will certify the medical supplies.

“The personal assistants-general of district collectors, including Chennai, along with local police officials will offer identity cards to private vehicles engaged for essential commodities and for the public and private staff,” the release said.

The government has allowed the elders, sick and unable to cook, to continue to avail the services of small caterers. The companies concerned should have stickers of ‘essential service’ pasted on their vehicles and drivers should carry identity cards. Similarly, village administrative officers will provide identity cards to farmers, who produce vegetables, fruits and eggs.

The movement of farm labourers and machinery is allowed given that agricultural activities are exempted from the restrictions imposed by the government. Similarly, agricultural commodities can be transported to sandies and industries. Transportation-related activities of livestock, poultry, fish, eggs and fodder is allowed. If there are any difficulties, the control room of police headquarters could be reached at 044-28447701, 044-28447703

Senior citizens, sick, pregnant women and isolated families and those who wish to do dialysis can reach helpline 108 for emergency needs. 108 ambulance service will work in tandem.

In these challenging times, people should follow the principle, stay vigilant, maintain a distance and stay at home. “The state government supplied the list of names of 54,000 people arrived in from foreign countries and given instructions to quarantine them and actively monitor they don’t come out,” the release said.

Since people in contact with Covid-19 patients under isolation and the families are totally prohibited from going out, the district collectors will have to ensure supply of essential commodities with adequate protection. Fine will be imposed on people who venture out despite the orders, and criminal action will be taken. “These are measures taken on the goodwill that people should not be affected. People should know this and abide by the orders of the government without fail and protect themselves,” the release said.

Nine committees of senior bureaucrats have been set up by the government to ensure uninterrupted supply of essential commodities and resolve disruptions caused by the lockdown.

The district administrators should disinfect periodically with equipment of fire services in densely-populated slum clearance board tenements, religious places, sandies and large streets. Adequate awareness should be created through loud speakers, besides pamphlets about the infectious disease that could cause devastation to humanity.

District collectors will have to ensure that the relief announced by the government reaches the beneficiaries, and healthcare guidelines, including social distancing norms are followed during distribution. Depending on the situation in the respective districts, if required, the district collectors could arrange for door delivery of relief and essentials. “To prevent the spread of disease, distribution of essential commodities by getting fingerprints should be avoided completely now,” the release said.