The Tamil Nadu government extended the lockdown in the state by another week, which will end on June 21. This extension comes with a few relaxations applicable to 27 districts in the state excluding districts like Coimbatore, Thanjavur and nine others where the COVID-19 caseload continues to remain high. While the state has opened up tea stalls, stationery stores, book shops, TASMAC outlets, beauty parlours, mobile phone retail shops etc, travelling to these places comes with certain restrictions. This set-up of what’s allowed, what isn’t, how to travel to these places that have now opened, etc have raised quite a few questions among residents in the state. TNM reached out to the state Revenue and Disaster Management Department with some of these questions surrounding e-pass and e-registration.
> People are allowed to travel to permitted places of businesses like grocery shops, home appliances service centres, medical shops, electrical shops, stationery shops, optical shops within their local areas i.e. intra-district. No e-pass or e-registration is required for this.
> The same goes for people who have appointments at government offices like sub-registrar offices, appointments for university admissions, etc.
> E-registration is required for persons hiring cabs or auto.
> Travel to the airport or railway stations in two-wheeler or four-wheeler to pick up a family member is allowed without e-pass or e-registration. A proof of travel is sufficient.
> Persons are allowed to travel to the place of residence of elderly family members who are living alone and in need of care. This is only when there’s a declared or undeclared medical emergency.
Kumar Jayant IAS, Principal Secretary to Government, Revenue and Disaster Management Department said, “The lockdown is designed to discourage unnecessary travel. For instance if an elderly family member living alone needs to be taken care of, then a person can travel to their place with e-registration. But when there’s no caretaking involved and if the purpose of the visit is just to drop by, then the lockdown must not be violated.”
Notably, the government has also requested the public to walk to the shops near their residence to purchase provisions, fruits and vegetables. People are also advised to avoid using two-wheelers and four-wheelers to go to grocery and provision shops in neighbouring areas as well. Inter-district and inter-state travel, unless it's for a medical emergency, funeral or wedding, is still not allowed. For a more detailed list of what’s allowed and what isn’t, read: