The Tamil Nadu Government has decided to open up Chennai from the full lockdown on Monday while in Madurai and its suburbs it is extended for seven more days. <br />''<br />''The state Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy has said in a statement that Madurai will be under full lockdown till the 12th of this month, to prevent spread of Covid-19.<br />'' <br />''In Chennai, the return to the unlock will have a few additional safeguards as compared to the rest of the state. Hotels in the state capital can only operate parcel service till 9 pm and dine-in facility continues to be barred. <br />''<br />''Groceries and vegetable shops can function from 6 to 6 and commercial complexes, showrooms and jewellery shops from 10 to 6 while shopping malls will remain closed.<br />'' <br />''Meanwhile the total Covid-19 infection in Tamil Nadu has  crossed one lakh seven thousand cases with 4280 people confirmed positive yesterday.<br />'' <br />''The new cases include 1842 in Chennai. 2214 people were discharged after recovery leaving the active caseload at nearly 45-thousand. 65 people died of the disease taking the toll to 1450.<br />'' <br />''AIR correspondent reports that Chennai went in for a full lockdown on the 19th of last month. After 17-days, it is going to wound up today. Madurai is an exception where the intense lockdown will be in vogue for another week.<br />'' <br />''Madurai continued to witness a spurt in new cases of Covid-19 for the past many days leading to the government imposing the control measure. <br />''<br />''In all rural areas of Tamil Nadu, places of worship with an annual income of less than ten thousand rupees will be permitted to open from tomorrow.<br />'' <br />''<span style="color: #222222;">However, people have been asked to follow social distancing norms and to wear masks. It may be noted that on all the Sundays of this month, the government has made it clear that the whole state will go under complete lockdown as any crowding outside homes could possibly serve as a recipe for the formation of new Covid19 clusters.</span><br />

The Tamil Nadu Government has extended the full lockdown in Madurai and its suburbs for seven more days. In a statement in Chennai today, Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy has said that the measure has been taken in view of curtailing fresh waves of the pandemic in the city. As a result, the full lockdown there would be in force till the 12th of this month.<br />'' <br />'' However,  in a separate statement,  the Chief Minister made it clear that Chennai will enter into the unlock-2 phase after the 5th of this month, with a few additional restrictions. The added restrictions in Chennai include limited hours of functioning of shops and tea stalls, and a ban on dine-in service in hotels. Hotels are permitted to offer food parcel service. More from our correspondent:<br />''<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />''</span>Madurai along with Chennai and their suburbs are currently under full lockdown but it was about to end on the 5th, that is tomorrow. However, as announced by the state Chief Minister, Madurai will go for another week of full lockdown till the 12th of this month. Madurai is one of the regions apart from Chennai and its surrounding areas that witness an everyday spike of Covid-19 cases. The state government says the full lockdown has shown a discernible effect in attenuating the disease spread. However, it says the challenge still continues to be formidable, prompting the extension. The government has assured that those living in containment zones and under quarantine will be delivered all the essential items regularly.<br />