Retail outlets resume business in TN

The lockdown relaxations in non-containment zones has resulted in life slowly limping back in Chennai and in other places in Tamil Nadu.

The roads which were deserted ever since the lockdown was implemented in March saw movement of two wheelers and private cars as public transport including taxis and autos are still banned.

The government had permitted central and state government offices with 33 per cent staff strength.

State-run retail liquor outlet chain (TASMAC-Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation) however, did not resume operations unlike neighbouring Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Neighbourhood shops involved in a variety of businesses like electrical and electronic goods, optical, and stationery opened to throngs of customers and vehicular movement was significantly higher in most towns and cities. Though police and civic officials continued their patrolling, the markets were abuzz with activity and several people were seen going around without masks. As liquor stores opened in Karnataka, several consumers from bordering villages in Tamil Nadu's Krishnagiri district and Hosur lined up before shops in Attibele limits to buy booze.

Migrant workers, mostly construction labourers, gathered in large numbers near Avadi and at Alapakkam in suburban Chennai and employees of garment making units at the apparel manufacturing hub of Tirupur in western Tamil Nadu, demanding to be sent back home quickly.

Habib, a worker from Alapakkam construction site, in a voice message circulated to the media through an aid worker, said he and about 1,000 others hailing from states, including Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, wanted to go back home expeditiously and through any means of transport. 

Balaji Sampath, the aid volunteer, said the workers were desperate to go back home and were waiting ever since the curbs were first enforced on March 24 evening in Tamil Nadu. "It seems the government has not decided whether to send the workers back home or not (in view of resumption of work in non-containment areas). But the workers are clear and firm on their stand that they should be sent back," Balaji told PTI. 

The government has said that construction work in non containment zones may resume from today if the workers stayed at the site. Police and local officials arrived at all the spots where the workers gathered and requested them to disperse, assuring them that their demand to be sent back home would be considered.

As grocery stores were given time extension till 5 p.m. to do business there were no queues at the shops as it used to be earlier, said shop owners.

Since the Koyambedu market for vegetables, flowers and fruits has emerged as a key hotspot for coronavirus, State Disaster Response Force and Armed Reserve personnel were deployed in the sprawling premises as part of efforts to regulate movement of traders and help prevent the spread of the contagion. After inspecting the market, Commissioner of Revenue Administration and special nodal officer here for COVID-19 initiatives, J Radhakrishnan told reporters that focused testing was on at the market place under which all the employees were being tested.

In view of targeted testing, the number of positive cases was likely to go up, he said, adding that however the rise in numbers was not a cause for concern as all anti-COVID-19 efforts were being taken by the government.

Pointing out that several people who have tested positive were asymptomatic, he said arrangements were afoot to house such patients in facilities like colleges and the Trade Centre at Nandambakkam, which are designated as Covid Care Centres, rather than in hospitals.