The Corporation Commissioner of Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) G Prakash, in a tweet on Saturday (11 April), announced that bakeries within the city limits can function between 6.00 am and 1.00 pm beginning 12 April, Sunday. An official order is yet to be issued.
The timing is in line with the functioning of essential services like fruit and vegetable markets, grocery shops and supermarkets, petrol bunks and the likes.
The GCC had earlier published a zone-wise list of supermarkets that provided home delivery in their respective areas, mainly to avoid overcrowding of people in such places. Additionally, 5,000 tricycles and 2,000 small motor vehicles carrying fruits, vegetables and groceries were launched in the city by GCC in partnership with the Tamil Nadu Traders Association.
As part of its door-to-door coronavirus health survey, GCC announced on Saturday that it has achieved 90% penetration as of 11 April. Till date, 51,31,314 houses have been surveyed in which 2,488 cases with COVID-19 symptoms have been found.
Chennai currently has 182 COVID-19 cases, Royapuram being its hotspot with 51 positive patients. Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar, zone 6, has 25 COVID-19 cases, making it the second zone to have the most number of coronavirus cases.
Manali and Ambattur zones in the city have not reported any COVID-19 cases so far.
On Saturday, 58 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the state taking the total number of positive cases in Tamil Nadu to 969. Of these, 47 cases are from the single source event.
Notably, earlier this month, the Karnataka government too allowed the re-opening of confectionaries with minimum staff and labour. The circular issued by the government had noted that bakery products were being consumed by patients, elderly people, children and the general public thus making it an essential commodity.
(This article was originally published in The News Minute and has been reposted with permission.)
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