R. ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, SEPT 29
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday extended the ongoing lockdown till October 31 with more relaxations and put on hold its earlier order permitting students from class X to XII to voluntarily seek their teachers’ guidance from October 1 by going to schools.
The government’s decision to defer plans on allowing students to go to schools on voluntary basis to clear doubts from their teachers followed opposition from parents who had declined to send their wards to the educational institutions.
“Based on the inputs given in the meeting with district collectors, which was followed by the medical experts virtually, considering the present spread of the pandemic and the safety of the students, the GO enabling students to volunatrily seek teachers’ guidance is being put on hold,” Chief Minister said.
Though several schools had asked the parents to comply with the government order, many refused citing threat from the pandemic to their wards in the backdrop of increasing coronavirus cases.
“The government did not want to put the lives of the young minds to peril,” a senior official at the state Secretariat said.
On Tuesday, Tamil Nadu reported 5,546 new Covid-19 cases and 70 fatalities, taking the total infections in the state to 5,91,943, including 9,453 deaths.
The Chief Minister, who held a virtual meeting with the district collectors and senior officials, and reviewed the situation arising due to the pandemic, announced the extension of the lockdown till October 31.
In a five page statement, the Chief Minister said restrictions would continue to remain in the containment zones.
Educational institutions, entertainment centres and museums will continue to remain closed and suburban train service will remain suspended.
However, the number of domestic flights to arrive at Chennai airport will be doubled to one hundred per day, he said.
Cinema shootings will be permitted to continue but with a ceiling of 100 people at a time. Tea shops and restaurants are allowed to function from 6 am to 9 pm and take away services will be allowed till 10 pm.
He said government and government-affiliated institutes can function adhering to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), the Chief Minister added.
