Tamil Nadu lockdown extended till 19 July with more relaxations; check what's allowed & what's not

The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday extended the coronavirus-induced lockdown in the state till 19 July along with further relaxations of restrictions which will come into effect at 6 am on Monday.Chief Minister MK Stalin announced the decision after a meeting with top officials as the daily COVID-19 cases have declined in comparison to previous weeks. Also, a new set of guidelines will come into effect from 12 July.Check what's allowed and what's not as per new guidelines:- State authorities have now allowed restaurants, tea shops, bakeries, roadside shops and snack shops to operate with 50 percent of customers till 9 pm (such places will need to comply with COVID-19 protocols ensuring people are in queues and following social distancing norms)- Schools, colleges, theatres, liquor bars, swimming pools, zoos will remain closed till further notice- Even cultural and political events with public participation cannot be held in the state- Up to 50 people can attend weddings and only 20 can attend funerals- The state has not re-started inter-state bus service, but has decided to resume bus facility to neighbouring Puducherry. The International air travel will not function except the ones permitted by the Union home ministry- In addition to this, even competitive exams for state and union government services can be conducted in the coming days, only in compliance with the standard operating procedure- The examining agencies will be required to inform the district authorities in advance so that all protocols and norms are followed properly. The respective management will ensure that everyone wears masks at the centreMeanwhile, Tamil Nadu reported 69 deaths and 3,039 new coronavirus infections on Friday. So far, the state has registered a total of 25,13,098 COVID-19 cases and 33,322 fatalities, respectively.