Chennai, Jan 11 (IANS): Tamil Nadu government has announced that the general public will not be allowed entry to places of worship from January 14-18 in view of the mounting Covid-19 cases. The state will have a complete lockdown on January 16 (Sunday). However, essential services will be exempted, a statement from the state government said.

Passengers will be allowed only up to 75 percent of the seating capacity in buses and the present Covid restrictions will continue in the state till January 31.

Tamil Nadu had reported 13,958 fresh Covid-19 positive cases on Monday and the number of active cases in the state stood at 62,767. The state health minister Ma Subramanian had told the people of the state to be on guard and to celebrate festivals at home as the third wave has already commenced in the state.

The precautionary dose vaccine for the healthcare workers, frontline workers, and senior citizens above 60 years of age with comorbidities also began in the state on Monday.