Tamil Nadu extends lockdown till July 31, strict curbs to continue in Chennai, Madurai

The Tamil Nadu government has extended the coronavirus lockdown till July 31 amid a steady rise in the COVID-19 numbers in the state. Chennai and Madurai will continue to be under intense lockdown till July 5 and the current relaxations and curbs shall be in force till July 31 for the rest of Tamil Nadu.

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government has extended the lockdown in the state till July 31, in the wake of rising COVID-19 cases in the state, with certain relaxations and curbs.

Meanwhile, intense lockdown has been announced in Chennai and Madurai till July 5, to contain the spread of novel coronavirus.

The capital city Chennai, which has been under an intense 12-day lockdown from June 19, recorded its sharpest-single day spike with 2,167 cases on Monday. Besides Chennai, complete shutdown has been announced in Chengelpet, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram.

According to an official release, schools, colleges, malls, resorts, lodges, cinema halls, and bars would continue to be shut and religious congregations and prayers in places of worship in urban regions are banned.

Travel to tourist places like Nilgiris, Kodaikanal and Yercaud for non-residents and for tourism purposes is not allowed, the release read.

Tamil Nadu Monday reported 3,949 fresh COVID-19 cases taking the state’s tally beyond 86,000. With 62 deaths in the past 24 hours, the state’s death toll reached 1,141. The state witnessed a surge of 18,756 infection since June 25. As 3,500 plus cases being reported everyday, Tamil Nadu is the third worst-hit across India after Maharashtra and Delhi.

The state government, after announcing relaxations as part of Unlock1 across the state from June 1, had re-imposed intense lockdown in Chennai and parts of neighbouring Chengelpet, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram till tomorrow from June 19.

The extension of lockdown comes a day before first stage of centre's phased lockdown comes to an end.

Earlier in the day, government of Maharashtra, the worst corona-affected state in India, also extended lockdown till July 31.