TN rules out partial reopening of schools

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:30.09.2020

The Tamil Nadu government has gone back on its decision to allow students of Classes X, XI and XII to go to school voluntarily from October 1 and extended the Covid-19 lockdown to October 31while relaxing several curbs.

Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday said the government had put on hold its decision to partially open schools considering the views of district collectors and health experts with whom he had a meeting earlier in the day. “A decision will be taken to grant permission at an appropriate time after a review again,” the CM said.

Schools, colleges, other educational and research institutions, cinema halls, swimming pools, entertainment/amusement parks, auditoriums, assembly halls, beaches, zoos, museums, museums and tourist spots will continue to remain shut. International air travel, except for purposes permitted by the Union home ministry, is prohibited and suburban trains will not run.

Religious congregations remain prohibited

Religious congregations, social, political, entertainment, academic and other gatherings and processions are prohibited. However, tea shops and restaurants will now be allowed to stay open from 6am to 9pm. Takeaway service will be permitted till 10pm. Film shoots with a crew of up to 100 adhering to standard operating procedures will be allowed. But the public are barred from sets.

Chennai airport is permitted to handle 100 flight landings a day from the existing 50. Coimbatore, Trichy, Madurai, Tuticorin and Salem airports will maintain status quo.

Government and government-affiliated training institutes can function following standard operating procedures. Weekly markets in rural and urban areas allowed.

“Even as the state government had extended a lot of relaxations in September, the speediness of virus spread has fallen at a state level. Aggressive efforts are on to reduce further the fatality rate,” Palaniswami said. He also advocated the use of masks and frequent washing of hands with soap at home and workplaces.

The virus spread could be contained if people wear masks, adhere to social distancing norms and avoid unnecessary travel and support the government’s efforts, he said.