Chennai: Security tightened to ensure compliance to new Covid-19 restrictions

🔴 Between 10 pm on January 6 and 5 am on January 7, as many as 547 vehicles including 501 two-wheelers, 32 auto-rickshaw and 14 lightweight vehicles were seized by the cops for violating norms.

• By: Express Web Desk
• Chennai | Updated: January 7, 2022 01:39 PM IST
4 min read

Chennai: Policemen patrol during the night curfew between 10 pm to 5 am imposed by the Tamil Nadu government to curb the spread of COVID-19, at Marina Beach in Chennai, Thursday, Jan. 06, 2022. (PTI Photo)

The Greater Chennai Police has beefed up security to effectively implement the lockdown restrictions issued by the Tamil Nadu government to curb the spread of Covid-19 in the state. The night curfew (10 pm – 5 am) imposed by the government came into force on Thursday. As per the guidelines issued by the Chief Minister, the state will observe a complete lockdown every Sunday, starting January 9.

Commissioner of Police Shankar Jiwal said 10,000 police from law and order, traffic and armed-police wings will be on duty.

In an advisory issued on Thursday, Jiwal said as many as 312 vehicle checkpoints have been set up at various points within the city police limits. Police personnel on two-wheeler and four-wheeler beat vehicles will be on rounds to check if commercial shops and other entities are following the norms.

Similar arrangements have been made at areas coming under the jurisdictions of the Avadi Police Commisssionerate and Tambaram Police Commisionerate.

Between 10 pm on January 6 and 5 am on January 7, as many as 547 vehicles including 501 two-wheelers, 32 auto-rickshaw and 14 lightweight vehicles were seized by the cops for violating norms.

The police has asked the public not to venture out unnecessarily during the night curfew and the Sunday lockdown. However, essential services including milk supply, ambulances, newspapers, petrol pumps, medical services, pharmacies will be allowed to operate. There will be no restrictions on frontline workers including doctors, sanitary workers and revenue officials, who will need to carry identity while travelling.

People heading to railway stations or airports on Sunday and during the curfew period, need to arrange their own transport or use rented services and must carry their travel tickets. Public transport, including the Metro, will not operate.

Police personnel has also been deployed in large public gathering places like vegetable and fish markets, bus stands, airports, temples, railway stations, parks, etc. The police said all goods vehicles at Koyambedu market will be inspected.

Further, the government said there will be no restrictions on travel for candidates appearing for competitive exams like TNPSC/UPSC or other job interviews conducted by organistaions on Sundays. The candidates have been informed to carry their hall ticket/call letter and produce it when required.

Pongal festival celebrations organised by both the government and private organisations have been postponed. There will be no classes for LKG, UKG students, and online classes will be held for students of classes from 1 to 9. Except for medical and paramedical colleges, other colleges will remain closed till January 20.

Busses, trains and metros will operate at 50 per cent capacity.

Employees of all private companies, commercial complexes and theatres have been asked to get fully vaccinated. Government and local body employees have to be fully vaccinated before January 9 and are required to submit vaccination certificates in their respective offices. Apart from essential services, none of these will be allowed to operate during the curfew period as well as on Sunday.

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