The Tamil Nadu state government has issued an order on Thursday in which it has banned the people from celebrating Vinayaga Chaturthi owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and the strict lockdown and restrictions for the religious events and public gathering as the state is fighting to curb the spread of the global pandemic. 

In the order, the government has restricted the celebrations in public places and advised the people to celebrate in their homes by adhering to the safety protocols. 

The government has also prohibited the installation, procession, and immersion of the Vinayagar idols in the water bodies as these sequence of events would normally see a huge gathering every year as it has been one of the festivals being celebrated across the country. 

However, the COVID-19 outbreak has changed the lives upside down and driven the people to face more distress and restrictions. The religious, cultural, and political events have been under the banner of restrictions since March 24, when India was imposed with the complete lockdown to contain the COVID-19 spread. 

The state of Tamil Nadu has been going through the seventh phase of the lockdown from August 1st to August 31st where these festival events have been restricted. As Vinayaga Chaturthi falls on August 22, the government has issued a ban for public celebrations in the wake of the outbreak. 

The government also directed the people who exit the house to buy essential items for Vinayaga Chaturti to wear face masks and observe social distancing at public places. 

As of Wednesday - August 12, Tamil Nadu has reported 3,14,520 cases so far of which 52,929 are active, 2,56,313 have been recovered, and 5,278 had succumbed to the virus.