Tamil Nadu govt releases list of standalone shops allowed to open

The Tamil Nadu government on Sunday released a list of standalone shops that have been permitted to open even as the coronavirus lockdown continues.

The list includes - tea shops, bakeries, restaurants (only takeaways), groceries, construction material outlets, hardware shops, mobile shops, electrical shops, electronics/computer shops, photo copy units, paint shops, automobile spare part shops, furniture outlets, roadside carts, dry cleng units, nurseries, courier and parcel units, plywood and saw mills, two and four-wheeler sale and service, non-AC small jewellery shops, non-AC textile shops (only in rural areas).

At the same time, the government has said that no barber-shops or beauty parlours will be allowed to open.

Disinfection of the shops, social distancing and wearing of masks will be mandatory for customers and shop staff.

On March 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a 21-day lockdown as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID-19. The lockdown was later extended till May 3. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on May 1, issued an order to extend the ongoing lockdown by two more weeks from May 4.

( With inputs from ANI )