Tea shops allowed in 27 districts

However, they will only be permitted to provide parcel services

The Tamil Nadu government on Sunday announced that tea shops would be allowed to function from Monday, from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m, in 27 of the 38 districts. Tea shops will, however, only be permitted to provide parcel service. The government has also allowed sweets and savoury shops to function from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and they too can provide only parcel services. In a press release, the government said tea shops would be allowed to function in all districts except the seven western ones, including Coimbatore and the four delta districts, including Thanjavur, where the spread of COVID-19 is not yet fully under control. The announcement comes in the wake of widespread criticism against the government for allowing Tasmac liquor outlets to function, but not allowing tea shops to open.