A day ahead of the deadline of the current phase of the lockdown, the state of Tamil Nadu is renewed with the fresh phase of the lockdown till December 31st, 2020 and the renewal pack from the government has come with another set of large scale relaxations as the government has decided to resume the colleges and re-open the beaches to the public from December. 

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami has on Monday unveiled the fresh relaxations for the state for the month of December in which the Chief Minister has permitted the resumption of various services that have been remained closed for several months. According to the press release, the state government has permitted to open all the beaches including Chennai's Marina Beach to the public from December 14. 

The state government has allowed the functioning of certain activities outside the containment zones by adhering to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) in the state from December 1. The government has decided to keep the containment zone under a tight lockdown to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Chief Minister has said that the state will remain under lockdown till December 31st and the relaxations have come based on the guidelines issued by the Central government in unlocking the nation from the lockdown.   

The state of functioning of schools and colleges has been under watch across the state as the students, parents, and all the concerned stakeholders have been keenly expecting the government's directive of operating the educational institutions. However, the state government hasn't permitted the fullest resumption of schools and colleges. 

According to the press release, the classes for final year students of undergraduate programmes in colleges and universities in Tamil Nadu will be resuming from December 7 and the government has also permitted the re-opening of hostels for these students from December 7 based on the SOP.  The classes for undergraduate and postgraduate students in medicine and medicine-related courses in the state will also be resuming from December 7. 

However, the government has said that the classes for the first-year students who have been admitted this year will begin only on February 1st, 2021. On the other hand, the government hasn't announced the resumption of schools across the state which revealed that schools and students will end this year through new normal as it is less likely that schools will be resumed in December. The reports say that the government has taken the decision not to resume the schools after the stakeholders raised strong concern about the COVID-19 spread. 

The students are encouraged to study online. The press release stated that the people who are entering Tamil Nadu from other states must apply for e-registration to enter the state. However, states like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Puducherry are given exceptions for e-registration. The state government has also allowed congregations and events of social, religious, political, and entertainment only in the indoor premises.  

The government has ordered that these events are mandated to take place with only 50% of capacity or with a maximum of 200 people and the event organizers are instructed to acquire prior permissions from the concerned authorities to host the events. The government has said that it will permit large-scale and outdoor congregations based on the COVID-19 spread and situation. 

According to the press release, the swimming pools across the state, apart from the containment zones, can resume functioning only for the purpose of sports training from December and the swimming pools are barred to have public entry and the government has said that the tourist spots will be open from December 1 for the public to visit while the exhibition and trade centers in Tamil Nadu will be allowed to function only for business and related purposes. 

According to the state health department, Tamil Nadu has reported 7,80,505 COVID-19 cases so far as of Sunday - November 29 of which 11,052 are active, 7,57,750 have been discharged, and 11,703 had succumbed to the viral infection. The state has been witnessing a steady drop in fresh cases and people have been expecting to have a lockdown free New year.