Tamil Nadu Covid curbs: No Sunday lockdown, night curfews; schools to reopen from Feb 1

Chennai: Tamil Nadu has eased Covid-19 restrictions as the pandemic situation improves. On Thursday (January 27), the state government decided to do away with the night curfew and Sunday lockdown. Schools from classes 1-12 and colleges will also reopen from February 1.

On Thursday, Tamil Nadu reported 28,515 fresh Covid cases and 53 deaths. Active cases stand at 2,13,534.

Following a spate of infections, the government had ordered schools to close while permitting classes for higher secondary students till Pongal (mid-January). Later, all the higher secondary schools were asked to remain shut till this month-end. Reviewing the pandemic situation with health officials and senior bureaucrats on Thursday, Chief Minister M K Stalin announced that there will be no night curfew from January 28. Further, there would not be a complete lockdown this Sunday (January 30), as it is being withdrawn.

Restaurants, cinema theatres, clubs, amusement parks, bakeries, lodges, gyms, garment and jewellery shops, spas and salons are allowed to function with 50% occupancy. The restriction on the number of persons (up to 100) for marriage and (50) for funerals will however continue. All colleges and universities, other than those that are temporarily functioning as Covid Care Centres, would resume classes on February 1, strictly complying with the government guidelines on Covid safety.

The restriction on social, cultural and political gatherings will continue. The polls to the urban civic bodies will be held on February 19 with stringent enforcement of the SoPs issued by the State Election Commission, a release from the government said. 

Earlier, addressing a press conference in Delhi, Lav Agarwal, the joint secretary in the Health Ministry said, "A clear trend in terms of fewer Covid cases requiring oxygen-supported beds or ICU beds has been observed. Also, active Covid-19 cases and corresponding deaths are much lower during the present wave compared to earlier surges," he said.

Meanwhile, amid the improving Covid-19 scenario in Bengaluru, Karnataka Education Minister BC Nagesh on Thursday (January 27) hinted at the reopening of schools for the students of Classes 1-9 (which are now closed) in the city. "Since Covid-19 cases in Bengaluru are coming down, I will seek an opinion in the cabinet on reopening of schools," IANS quoted Nagesh as saying. In Chandigarh, schools for students of Classes 10 to 12 are set to reopen from February 1. In capital Delhi, while the DDMA lifted several curbs, schools continue to remain closed till further notice.

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