Groceries, Provisions Open Only From 6am-2.30pm in TN From Sunday
Six new positive cases of COVID-19 has been detected in Tamil Nadu, taking the total tally to 35.
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Shops selling provisions and groceries and all markets including the Koyambedu wholesale market will be open only from 6am-2:30pm in Tamil Nadu, said the state government.
The same rule applies to petrol bunks as well. For emergency services, such as ambulances, a few bunks will be open round the clock. The order will be implemented from Sunday, 29 March. Medical shops and restaurants (only takeaway is allowed) can be open, as usual, from morning to night.
Online food ordering apps, Swiggy, Zomato and Uber Eats will now be allowed to deliver cooked food at 7am-9.30am in the morning, 12pm - 2.30pm in the afternoon and 7pm-9pm in the night. This provision has been made to attend to the elderly and people who are unable cook for themselves.
The state tally of COVID-19 positive patients is now at 36, including two patients who have recovered and one who is deceased.
Six positive cases of COVID-19 were detected in Tamil Nadu on Friday, announced the National Health Mission - Tamil Nadu.
Of these, two patients are members of the family of patient number 12, a 54-year-old man from Madurai who died after contracting the virus. One is a contact from patient number 14, a 52-year-old woman from Chennai who had returned from USA. Two others are contacts from patient number 5, a 69-year-old man who travelled from Thailand to New Delhi and then to Erode Railway station.
Earlier on Friday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami tweeted that he spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The PM had urged the state to strictly enforce Section 144 and ensure people have easy access to essential commodities and services. Palaniswami had assured him all the steps were being taken by the government on a war footing.
The CM then called for a meeting with Health Minister Vijayabaskar and other senior officials from the health and police department.
There has been a steady increase in the number of persons who have tested positive in the state. The Health Minister assured that they are working on preparing isolation wards and that even private hospitals have been asked to step in.
An exclusive 350-bedd hospital for treating COVID-19 patients with an isolation ward, a step down ward, ventilators and an efficient medical team is ready at Omandurar, Chennai, stated the minister. Doctors in Chennai told The Quint a similar facility was being prepared in Villupuram as well.
Debunking Myths, Community Kitchens for the Stranded
The Chennai Corporation has been very active on social media, responding to people’s queries and clarifying that essential services will be available all through the day.
People who want to provide food to street dwellers are advised not to do so. Instead, can donate groceries to corporation/ Collectorate which will be distributed
Amma canteens, which are the state-run eateries, have come to the rescue as they are the only outlets open throughout the state. While restaurants have been allowed to stay open only for takeaways, most of them have shut shop due to fear of the pandemic.
Clear markings have been made inside and outside the canteens to ensure people maintain a one-arm distance.
The corporation has even asked people to send WhatsApp forwards to fact-check, using the hashtag #GCCMythBusters.
Several sanitary workers have been employed to disinfect public spaces, buildings, buses, local trains and markets.
Migrant workers who were stranded without trains have been made to stay at a government school in Egmore and are being screened by doctors regularly. There are 17 such camps all over the city and food is also being provided.
Nine coordination teams have been formed in the state with senior IAS officers to enforce social distancing, ensuring availability of essential supplies, media coordination, enforcing prohibitory orders and coordinating with private hospitals.
Following complaints from people, the body even put up contact numbers of local officials for people to reach out in case they need aid, especially ailing people, pregnant women, the elderly, old age homes or to check about essential services.
They clarified that the home quarantine stickers pasted in homes only meant that the resident(s) have returned from abroad and are quarantining themselves inside their homes, it doesn’t imply they are positive cases of COVID-19.
Markets Yet to Learn to Social Distance
Shops selling essential products such as milk, vegetables, fruits, provisions and meat are open, without any time constraints. Police officials are making routine checks at markets every few hours to ensure there is no crowding and people are maintaining social distancing.
People are not allowed to venture in groups and should step out only to purchase essentials to sustain themselves. It is advisable that only one family member goes out for shopping and should sanitise themselves s soon as they returns home.
The Koyambedu wholesale vegetable and fruit market is now out of bounds for the public and will be only open for the retailers.
People are advised to buy groceries in markets in their own neighbourhoods and avoid visiting big markets like Koyambedu, Chintadripet or Kothaval Chavadi.
Police personnel have instructed the vendors to put up shops at a good distance from each other and wear masks and gloves at all times. However, despite the warning, The Quint noticed that in markets such as Mambalam, Kodambakkam, Amnjikarai, there were no markings made outside the shops for the customers to stand in and during evenings there was a lot of crowding.
The Latest Stats
The state government has extended the lockdown orders till 14 April in accordance with the announcement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a nationwide 21-day lockdown.
- 1,039 samples have been taken from the passengers and sent for testing at King Institute of Preventive Medicine & Research, Guindy Chennai, National Institute of Virology, Pune, Theni VRDL, Thiruvarur VRDL, Tirunelveli VRDL, RGGGH VDRL, Coimbatore VRDL, Salem VRDL, Villupuram VRDL and Madurai VRDL.
- 2,09,284 passengers have been screened at the Chennai, Trichy, Madurai, and Coimbatore airports.
- 15,788 passengers are under home quarantine for 28 days.
- A list of 86,644 passengers listed by the bureau of immigration are being verified in the district.
- 109 asymptomatic passengers from highly affected countries are being quarantined in facilities near the airport.
- 284 are under hospital isolation.
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