TN GOVT ANNOUNCES FRESH RELAXATIONS FROM DECEMBER 1: CHECK WHAT'S ALLOWED OR OPENING 

As the country is still under lockdown due to the pandemic, Tamil Nadu has extended the Covid-19 lockdown till December 31, 2020. 

Earlier today, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami has appealed to the public to wear masks and maintain social distancing to help prevent the spread of coronavirus while extending the curbs till December 31 in containment zones and for international air travel.

On further extending the curbs, Palaniswami said social, political and entertainment events would be allowed in auditoriums. He also announced the opening of colleges for final year undergraduate students from December 7.

Below are the several relaxations that Tamil Nadu will follow from December 1: 

- Beaches including Chennai's Marina Beach and tourist places will be opened for the public after December 14.

- Swimming pools would be allowed to operate for training purposes, which will be effective from December 1. 

- Undergraduate final year classes for all colleges and universities including arts, science, technology, engineering, agriculture, fisheries and veterinary and hostels for them are permitted to start from December 7.

- From December 7, classes for UG and postgraduate medical and para-medical courses will also begin.

- Classes for freshers who enroll during the current 2020-21 academic year would however, begin from 1 February 2021.

- Exhibition centres would be allowed to function for 'business to business' purposes.

- Social, political and entertainment programmes shall be allowed from December 1 to 31 after obtaining prior permission from authorities.

- The number of participants for events at auditoriums should be confined to a maximum of 200 people or 50 percent of the total seating capacity. Permission should be obtained from the police commissioner in Chennai and from district collectors in the rest of Tamil Nadu for indoor functions. 

- A decision on allowing events in open spaces would be taken in keeping with the pace of virus spread in the coming days.

- Barring those from neighbouring Puducherry, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, e-registration shall continue to be applicable for people visiting Tamil Nadu from all other states.