Chennai, Nov 2 (IANS): The Tamil Nadu State Health department has warned shoppers and shopkeepers to strictly adhere to Covid -19 standard protocols and not to allow overcrowding in shops and streets during Deepavali shopping.

The Health department is conducting awareness drive across the state that Covid-19 is still dangerous and can be fatal.

State Health Minister Ma Subramanian while speaking to IANS said, "The Covid -19 daily cases in the state have come down to 1,000 but still we cannot let off our guards. The Greater Chennai Corporation has ordered the removal of all wayside vendors and ice-cream stalls on Ranganathan Street which is busy and crowded."

The Minister also said that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has directed the shopkeepers in all the crowded streets and shops across the state to remind people of the dreaded pandemic which had claimed several lives and also crushed the economy.

In a circular to all the district health officers, the state health department has pointed out that after Onam festival in Kerala, the cases had gone up and similarly, after the Pooja festival, the cases have gone up in West Bengal.

Ma Subramanian said, "We know what had happened in Kerala and West Bengal and hence we are cautious and we don't want all the hard work done by several officers, doctors, nurses, and social workers to go in vain and hence will not allow overcrowding in streets and shops during Deepavali."

The state health department has also made provisions to conduct testing and vaccination in shops and establishments with sanitary inspectors being directed to conduct routine inspections.

The Minister said, "While it is a great effort that has brought the number of daily Covid -19 cases under 1000, time is not ripe to rejoice as we have to wait and watch on whether the disease would bounce back. However, we have taken all precautions and there is nothing to worry about. People must be more aware of the possibilities of the disease coming back if we let out guard down and not adhere to Covid -19 standard protocol prescribed by the government."

The shopkeepers are also prepared for the crowd and safe distancing is maintained in most of the shops even in the busy Ranganathan street in T Nagar, Chennai.

Shanmugasundaram, owner of Raja stores in Ranganathan Street while speaking to IANS said, "We have maintained all that is prescribed in the Covid -19 standard protocol and we have inoculated all our staff with both the doses of vaccine. Crowd sometimes is uncontrollable but we have still managed to maintain the standard distancing."