First day of full lockdown near total in major cities

While police patrol vehicles and flying squads alone could be seen in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem and Tirupur, people in some localities in north Chennai loitered and police warned them to stay indoors.

Also, regions close to Chennai and falling under Chengalpatu, Kancheepuram, and Tiruvallur districts, besides districts, including Cuddalore, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam are fully shut today.

Milk supply was not affected as Aavin delivered it to consumers as usual. Most of the arterial roads and markets, which were buzzing with hectic activity on Saturday with people resorting to panic buying, wore a deserted look in Coimbatore. There was hardly any vehicle movement and people stayed indoors. Over 1,200 police were deployed for security reasons.

In Tirupur, the intensive lockdown began on a destructive note with rains damaging plantain farms in several localities.