Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has on Saturday announced a fresh phase of the complete lockdown for a week from May 24 to May 31 to tackle the COVID-19 spread in the state. The current phase of the lockdown was imposed on May 10 and will be in place till May 24 post which the lockdown will be renewed with the fresh phase till the month-end and unlike the current phase, the fresh phase of the lockdown has come with no relaxations for the entire week. 

As the extended lockdown will come to effect on Monday, the Chief Minister has on Saturday said that all shops will be allowed to function on Saturday and Sunday owing to the complete lockdown from Monday. Tamil Nadu had normally observed complete lockdown on Sundays, but as strict lockdown has been announced from Monday, the government has allowed the functioning of all sorts of shops on Saturday -May 22 and Sunday- May 23. Earlier, the government has permitted all shops to function on May 9 - Sunday, a day before the two-week lockdown was imposed in the state. 

With the announcement, Tamil Nadu will witness full relaxations on the weekend before going deserted from Monday. According to the press release from the government, all shops can remain open till 9 pm on Saturday and from 6 am to 9 pm on Sunday with the view of letting the people stock up the essential commodities at their residences before the lockdown takes effect. 

Along with permitting the shops to function, the state government has also allowed the movements of public and private buses across the state on Saturday and Sunday and the state would see its pre-COVID-19 situation on Sunday. The government has said that the transportations are allowed to function with the view of the interests of the people who tend to move to other districts. All commuters are directed to adhere to the guidelines while travelling in the buses. 

According to reports, the government has said that around 4,500 special buses will be operated by the Tamil Nadu Transportation department on Saturday and Sunday. Of these 4,500, 1,500 buses will be operated from Chennai to aid the movements of people between the districts before the lockdown takes its role in the state. It has also been reported that the Omnibuses will also be functioning on Saturday and Sunday. 

The fresh phase of the lockdown will come to effect at 4 am on Monday and the transportation department will be operating the special buses from Chennai connecting to every part of the state in a way that the buses arrive at their respective destinations before 3 am on Monday. On Saturday, Chief Minister MK Stalin has convened a meet with the representatives of the political parties in the assembly and with the health experts to discuss the lockdown extension. 

The health experts had suggested the Chief Minister impose the complete lockdown for two weeks with no relaxations and the suggestion was also echoed by the representatives of the political parties. Initially, it was speculated that the government will impose a one-week lockdown with no relaxations and a one-week lockdown with relaxations. However, the government has finally announced the extension of the lockdown for a week. 

During the meeting with the representatives of the political parties and health experts, the Chief Minister had expressed his displeasure over the violations of the government guidelines and restrictions in the state. He said, "The lockdown was imposed to break the chain of transmission of the virus and the COVID-19 pandemic hasn't come under control in Tamil Nadu. Most of the people are not adhering to the government's guidelines and advisories and they are wandering across the state by thinking the lockdown as a holiday."

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