Exactly two days ahead of the deadline of the current phase of the lockdown which comes to an end by June 7, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has on Saturday announced that the lockdown will be extended in the state till June 14. It has become a third extension of the lockdown imposed by the new government in the state on May 10. The fresh phase of the lockdown has come with scores of relaxations as most of the districts in the state had reported a decline in COVID-19 cases. 

The fresh phase of the lockdown will come to effect on June 7 and will be in place till 6 am on June 14. The state government has kept the ongoing services functional till June 14 and highlighted eleven districts that are mostly affected by the second wave of the pandemic. In the press release, the government has poured common relaxations to all the districts and given additional relaxations to the districts apart from these eleven. 

In a press release, the government has said that eleven districts - Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Tirupur, Erode, Salem, Karur, Namakkal, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam, and Mayiladuthurai have been reporting exponential COVID-19 cases. With the view of containing the spread in these eleven districts and to ensure to meet the essential needs of the people, the government has poured lighter relaxations than to the rest of 27 districts that are identified with declining COVID-19 cases. Let's see what's permitted and what's not in the districts till June 14, 

Common relaxations for all the districts including the eleven most affected districts,

• Standalone shops including provision, vegetable, meat, and fish shops can function from 6 am to 5 pm from June 7. Vegetable, fruit, and flower shops that are on the platforms can function from 6 am to 5 pm. 
• Fish markets are allowed to function only for wholesale and the district administrations must take steps to install the fish markets at several places to ensure that people won't throng at one place and they observe physical distancing. 
• Slaughterhouses are allowed to function only for wholesale from June 7.
• Government Offices can function with a 30% workforce. Sub-registrar offices are permitted to function with 50 tokens every day.  
• Matchbox factory can function with a 50% workforce and by adhering to the Standard Operating Procedures.

The following relaxations are applicable only for 27 districts, excluding the aforementioned eleven most affected districts.

• Security services and housekeeping services are allowed to function in 27 districts from June 7 with e-registration.
• Electricians, Plumbers, Motor technicians, and other self-employed like carpenters are allowed to function from 6 am to 5 pm from June 7 with e-registration. 
• The shops that are selling electrical goods, bulbs, cables, switches, and wires can function from 6 am to 5 pm.
• The repair shops for cycles and other two-wheelers are allowed to function from 6 am to 5 pm. However, this relaxation won't be applicable for shops that sell two-wheelers.  
• Hardware shops can also function from 6 am to 5 pm. The units that are manufacturing the spare parts for the vehicles can function from 6 am to 5 pm. 
• The shops that are selling educational books and materials and stationaries are allowed to function from 6 am to 5 pm. 
• Rental vehicles, taxis, and autos can operate in these 27 districts with e-registration. Taxis are allowed to ply with three members apart from the driver and the autos are allowed to ply with two members apart from the driver. 

Apart from the aforementioned relaxations, the government has said that the drive of selling fruits and vegetables directly to the people through mobile carts will be functional in all districts as this system, which was introduced by the government, has been welcomed by the people. Chief Minister MK Stalin has also appealed to the people to refrain from using the vehicles to buy things and rather he asked them to go on foot. For emergency travel to Nilgiris, Kodaikanal, Yercaud, Yelagiri, and Courtallam, people must obtain the e-pass from the district collectors of the respective districts where these areas are situated. 

On the front of what's not permitted, the government has banned public and private road transportation and people who are travelling between the districts must get e-registration. They are only allowed to travel for emergencies like medical emergencies and deaths. The government has also banned religious, political, cultural, and sporting events, and re-opening the places of worship and theatres.

Vegetable, grocery, and meat shops were closed on May 24 and after two weeks, the government has now permitted to open these establishments. According to reports, the decision of extending the lockdown was taken after a high-level meeting between Chief Minister MK Stalin, health experts, and officials on June 4. The health experts had recommended the government to ease the restrictions in the districts with declining COVID-19 cases. As per the recommendation, the government has lifted several restrictions in the districts with fewer cases while enforcing tight lockdown in eleven districts with peaking cases.