Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami had announced last week that e-passes for inter-district and inter-state travel during the lockdown will be made available from August 17 within 24 hours of applying.
READ | Tamil Nadu E-pass: How to apply for inter-district and inter-state travel
In a statement, EPS had said that the decision to ease restriction on e-pass was taken in public interest. “I request people to utilize this e-pass only for important work. To prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, co-operate with the government by following all the guidelines,” he said.
Also Read | MS Dhoni’s name will be etched in history: Tamil Nadu CM
Singer-actor SP Balasubrahmanyam’s condition is stable, his son and filmmaker SP Charan informed fans and well-wishers via an Instagram video on Monday. In the video, Charan is heard saying, “Dad is in the same condition as he was yesterday, which is stable. Doctors are still calling it critical, but there are no complications, which they feel is a very good sign.”
READ | SP Charan on SPB’s health: There are no complications
After thanking everyone for their support and love, SP Charan said he is positive that his father will emerge victorious in this battle against the virus. “He will definitely come through it,” Charan added.
A police constable was killed near Manakarai on the Thoothukudi-Tirunelveli border on Tuesday when a history-sheeter lobbed country bombs at a special team when they came to nab him. Constable Subramaniam died on the spot while the history-sheeter Durai Muthu suffered injuries after one of the country bombs which he held in handed exploded. Muthu was rushed to the Tirunelveli Government Hospital where he succumbed to injuries. The police said two murder cases among others were pending against Muthu. (With Inputs from PTI)
Chennai has a total of 12,003 active cases across all 15 zones of the city.
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Here are the active cases in the top 10 zones:
Over 1 lakh e-passes were issued to individuals on Monday, after the Tamil Nadu government relaxed restrictions on e-passes for inter-district and inter-state travel. As per the relaxations, individuals can now receive their e-pass within 24 hours of appying.
Also Read | Tamil Nadu E-pass: How to apply for inter-district and inter-state travel
With S P Balasubrahmanyam continuing to remain in a critical condition in the ICU, a host of people, including DMK president M K Stalin and top actor Rajinikanth, wished him a speedy recovery even as his lakhs of fans continued to pray for him.
Stalin said in a Facebook post: “The news that Padum Nila (singing moon) S P Balasubrahmanyam’s health is improving gives joy.” The DMK chief also hailed the veteran singer as one who “treated” the people for their worries through his heartwarming voice. “He should fully recover soon and continue his journey of songs.”
Actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth wished Balasubrahmanyam well on his Twitter account, saying, “Get well soon dear Balu sir.” The superstar also posted a short video in which he praised the singer for entertaining people for decades.
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The Madras High Court refused to allow the reopening of the Sterlite copper smelting plant in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi, news agency ANI reported on Tuesday. The plant was closed in 2018 over pollution concerns.
The state government had ordered the permanent closure of the unit in the wake of violent protests against Sterlite in Tuticorin that led to the killing of 13 people in police firing in May 2018. The Vedanta group challenged the May 23, 2018 orders of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) refusing renewal of consent to the plant as well as its permanent closure, terming them as wholly illegal, unconstitutional and ultra vires.
In its petition in the high court, the company alleged that TNPCB had blindly and without any “independent application of mind” passed the closure orders in a knee jerk manner in response to the political situation brewing in the area and according to the whims of the state government. The orders were “wholly illegal, unconstitutional, ultra vires the Air and Water Act”, it claimed.
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A survey among children in four southern states found that about 94 per cent of the respondents did not have access to smartphones or the internet for online education.
The study conducted by child rights body CRY in May-June covered 5,987 children in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The information was collected by CRY’s community organisers through telephonic interviews.
The study found that most of the respondents from Karnataka owned smartphones with nine per cent of the 1,445 respondents answering in the affirmative, while only three per cent out of the 1,740 children surveyed in Tamil Nadu had smartphones.
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A total of 74 flights will fly between Chennai and major cities today, with 37 arrivals and 37 departures scheduled at the Chennai International Airport.
Tangedco has announced a powercut in parts of Chennai today, with power to be suspended from 9 am to 2 pm to carry out maintenance work.
Here are the affected areas:
As many as 5,890 persons tested positive in Tamil Nadu on Monday, taking the total number of cases to 3,43,945. The list included 20 returnees from other countries and states.
In Chennai, 1,185 persons tested positive on Monday. Among other districts, Coimbatore (393), Cuddalore (390), Thiruvallur (308) and Theni (279) recorded maximum cases, while Nagapattinam (10), Krishnagiri (14),Nilgiris (27) and Dharmapuri (28) recorded less than 30 cases.
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Tamil Nadu reported 120 deaths due to Covid-19 on Monday, the highest spike in a single day till date. The total number of fatalities have reached 5,886.
As many as 5,890 persons tested positive on Monday, taking the total number of cases to 3,43,945. The list included 20 returnees from other countries and states.
After a total of 5,667 persons were discharged following treatment, the total number of recovered cases has increased to 2,83,937.
A total of 67,532 sample tests were conducted on Monday. Till date, the state has conducted 37,78,778 samples. There are still 54,122 active cases in the state.
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DMK president M K Stalin on Monday urged the Tamil Nadu government not to open TASMAC retail liquor outlets in Chennai from August 18, saying it would lead to further spread of coronavirus.
Opening liquor shops again was like clearing a “big way” for the spread of the virus in the state capital, he alleged in a Facebook post. Stalin alleged that TASMAC shops in the rest of Tamil Nadu had a “big role” in increasing the spread of the virus.
It was “inhuman to not worry about those who may be affected by the opening of liquor stores and be concerned only about the revenue to the government,” he alleged, and said the move to resume liquor sales would lead to further spread of coronavirus in the city.
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Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited (TASMAC) outlets in Chennai are all set to reopen from today. The shops will be allowed to operate from 10 am to 7 pm from Monday to Saturday.
Sales will be limited to 500 customers a day, with 500 tokens to be distributed everyday at each outlet.
TASMAC outlets present inside malls and containment zones will continue to remain closed. Customers will have to adhere to social distancing norms and wear a mask while making their purchases.
The outlets will remain closed on Sundays.
Good morning!
Welcome to the live blog from Chennai where we bring to you the latest updates on COVID-19, lockdown in Tamil Nadu and more in the state throughout the day. Follow the blog to stay up to date with the state in real time.
S P Charan, the son of singer S P Balasubrahmanyam announced today that his father continued to remain stable and said that there are no complications, The singer however, continues to remain critical and on ventilator.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami had announced last week that e-passes for inter-district and inter-state travel during the lockdown will be made available from today within 24 hours of applying.
Now, people who are stranded in other districts in Tamil Nadu can now return to their hometowns. The e-pass is mandatory for those travelling by private vehicles.
Here is how you can apply for an e-pass:
Recoveries in Chennai have crossed the 10,000-mark in four of the city's 15 zones. Kodambakkam (Zone 10) leads the tally with 11,883 recoveries, followed by Anna Nagar (Zone 8) with 11,790 recoveries, Royapuram (Zone 5) with 11,281 recoveries and Teynampet (Zone 9) with 10,798 recoveries.
Here are the recoveries in the top 10 zones in Chennai:
DMK President M K Stalin on Monday urged the Tamil Nadu government not to open TASMAC retail liquor outlets in Chennai from August 18, saying it would lead to further spread of coronavirus.
Opening liquor shops again was like clearing upa "big way" for the spread of the pathogen in the statecapital, he alleged in a Facebook post. Stalin alleged that TASMAC shops in the rest of Tamil Nadu had a "big role" in increasing the spread of the virus.
It was "inhuman to not worry about those who may be affected by the opening of liquor stores and be concerned only about the revenue to the government," he alleged, and said the move to resume liquor sales would lead to further spread of coronavirus in the city.
AMMK chief TTV Dhinakaran also opposed opening TASMAC shops again in Chennai.
Chennai has recorded 2454 COVID-19 deaths till date.
Here are the deaths in the top 10 zones in Chennai:
Chennai has 11,498 active cases, after the city recorded 1196 cases on Sunday.
Here are the active cases in the top 10 zones:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami Friday announced that from August 17 anyone who applies for e-an pass for inter-district travel during the lockdown will receive it instantly without any delay. E-passes were earlier issued only for marriage, medical emergency, and funeral.
In a statement, CM Palaniswami said the decision to ease restriction on e-pass was taken in public interest. ”I request people to utilize this E-pass only for important work. To prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, co-operate with the government by following all the guidelines,” he said. Those who wish to apply for e-pass need to provide a copy of their Aadhar card or ration card alongside their mobile/telephone number.
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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Sunday hailed former Indian captain M S Dhoni, who announced his retirement from international cricket on Saturday, describing him as “captaincool” and said his name will be etched in history.
DMK President M K Stalin said the era of Dhoni will be missed and credited his “agile leadership.”
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A total of 77 flights will fly between Chennai and major cities today, with 39 departures and 38 arrivals scheduled at the Chennai International Airport.
Tamil Nadu recorded 5950 positive cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the state tally to 3,38,055. Among these, Chennai reported 1196 positive cases, bringing the city’s total to 1,16,650.
Tamil Nadu recorded 125 deaths on Sunday, putting the state toll at 5766. 17 of them had no comorbidities. The state discharged 6019 patients following treatment yesterday, putting the total number of recoveries at 2,78,270.
As of Sunday, the number of active COVID-19 cases in Tamil Nadu is 54,019. Till date, 2,03,838 males, 1,34,188 females and 29 transgenders have tested positive for the virus in the state.
According to a bulletin released by the Health and Family Welfare Department of Tamil Nadu, 35,81,939 samples from the state have been sent for testing till date, with 68,444 samples having been sent today.
Good morning!
Welcome to the live blog from Chennai where we bring to you the latest updates on COVID-19, lockdown in Tamil Nadu and more in the state throughout the day. Follow the blog to stay up to date with the state in real time.