G.O.(Ms) No.03, COVID-19 Lockdown Continued up to 10.01.2022 with Restrictions

Purpose and scope

The Revenue and Disaster Management [D.M.IV] Department issued G.O.(Ms) No.03 on 3 January 2022 under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. It continued Tamil Nadu's existing COVID-19 restrictions up to 10 January 2022, based on Central Government directions, the Omicron situation and concerns about festival season gatherings.

The notification applied across Tamil Nadu. It affected the public, schools, businesses, workplaces, transport operators, entertainment venues, religious places and local authorities. It was a temporary public health measure, not a land ownership, property registration or land use notification.

Main restrictions

G.O.(Ms) No.03 imposed or continued the following controls:

• Social, cultural and political gathering restrictions continued.
• Play schools and nursery schools, including LKG and UKG, could not function.
• Direct classes for Standards 1 to 8 were not permitted until 10 January 2022.
• Exhibitions and book fairs were to be postponed.
• Schools for Standards 9 to 12, colleges and polytechnic institutions could conduct classes by following the applicable Standard Operating Procedure.
• Existing guidelines for religious worship places continued.
• Hotels, lodges, bakeries, guest houses and dormitories could provide dine-in service at 50 per cent capacity.
• Marriage gatherings were limited to 100 guests, and funeral or last rites gatherings were limited to 50 persons.
• Textile shops, jewellery shops, recreation clubs, gymnasiums, yoga centres, cinemas, theatres, beauty parlours, salons and spas were subject to 50 per cent capacity limits.
• Public buses could carry passengers up to seating capacity. Metro Rail travel was limited to 50 per cent seating capacity.

Duties of shops and workplaces

G.O.(Ms) No.03 required commercial establishment employees and owners to be vaccinated. Shops had to provide hand sanitiser and thermal screening, maintain cross ventilation, prevent overcrowding and ensure that workers and customers wore face masks.

Industries, commercial establishments and private institutions were subject to monitoring by the Commissioner of the Greater Chennai Corporation, District Collectors and local bodies.

Containment zones and enforcement

G.O.(Ms) No.03 required containment zones to be identified at micro level. Only essential activities, medical emergencies and supplies of essential goods and services were allowed within them, together with intensive house-to-house surveillance.

Violations could lead to fines and proceedings under Sections 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code and other applicable legal provisions.