Chennai: The two-week complete and total lockdown, with some relaxations came into force in Tamil Nadu from today morning in view of the surge in daily Corona cases.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who assumed office on May 7 and held a review meeting with all the District Collectors and medical experts on the prevailing COVID pandemic, announced the total lockdown from 4 am today till 4 am on May 24 to flatten the curve.

In a bid to ensure that people stock enough essentials ahead of the lockdown, the State Government had allowed opening of all shops without any restrictions across the State from 6 am to  9 am on Saturday and Sunday.

As the lockdown came into force, all inter-district and intra-district transport services, including public and private buses, autos, call taxis, cabs were off the roads, except for essential travel like weddings, funerals, job interviews and hospitals on production of relevant documents.

All the State-owned TASMAC liquor shops remained closed from today for two weeks, prompting the tipplers to store enough stock as the sales crossed more than Rs. 400 crore across the State during the weekends.

While all shops except vegetables, grocery and provision stores and meat stalls, remain closed, non air-conditioned provision and grocery stores and meat stalls remained open till 12 noon with a maximum of 50 percent customers.

Except for those involved in food delivery, other e-commerce firms were not allowed to function, while hotels and restaurants are allowed to function for takeaway services only in the stipulated time.

Beauty parlours, salons and spas, besides all social, political, recreational, educational and cultural events are not allowed.