The Tamil Nadu government announced on Sunday the extension of the ongoing Coronavirus lockdown till June 30, although with more relaxations like opening of public transport and more employees at workplace.

Unlike Centre which announced  new guidelines for phased re-opening of all activities outside containment zones for the next one month yesterday, The state government has continued the ban on religious places, schools and colleges, theatres, gyms and malls.

According to the central government’s guidelines religious places and places of worship for public; hotels, restaurants and other hospitality services; and shopping malls; will be permitted to open from June 8, 2020.

“To prevent the spread of coronavirus, the curfew is being extended till June 30 under the State Disaster Management Act and as per the Union Home Ministry’s notification,” Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister K Palaniswami said in a statement.

CM Palaniswami added, “Public transport will resume with reduced services from June 1, but buses will not be operated in Chennai, Kancheepurm, Tiruvallur and Chengalpet districts having the highest concentration of COVID-19 cases in the state. Private stage carriers will be allowed to operate in authorised routes.”

Except for the containment zone, all showrooms and shops in markets will be allowed to open up with 50 per cent staff from  June 1, the Chief Minister Palaniswami added. The shops allowed to open include clothing and jewellery as well.

Restaurants can start operating from June 8. While, the non-AC restaurants are allowed to open with  only 50 per cent of its seating capacity to be filled with customers and same goes with the tea shops. Till June 7 they can only deliver takeaways, according to the new the new order.

In the state capital Chennai, among the worst hit city in the the state due to the pandemic, the state will let taxis and auto rickshaws to work without e-pass in non-containment zones. IT companies will be allowed to work with 20 per cent of the workforce, says the order.

Tamil Nadu with 21184 positive cases of coronavirus has 9024 active cases, 160 fatalities and 12000 recoveries so far. It is amongst the worst hit states due to the COVID-19 outbreak in India.  Meanwhile, on Saturday, the southern state reported 938 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours.