Thousands throng liquor shops disregarding distancing norms

Protests held in several places in State against reopening of Tasmac outlets

08/05/2020, STAFF REPORTER,CHENNAI

Anger and anxiety: Women and children staging a protest in Madurai against the opening of Tasmac, top left, while physical distancing goes for a toss outside Tasmac outlets in Tiruvallur district.G. Moorthy, B. Jothi Ramalingam and M. Vedhan

Thousands of tipplers crowded Tasmac shops across Tamil Nadu (except those in Chennai) on Thursday, as liquor outlets reopened after 43 days.

COVID-19 safety protocols like physical distancing and the wearing of masks were thrown to the wind, sparking serious concerns about the spread of the virus. Protests were held in several places against the reopening of liquor outlets in the midst of a pandemic.

Though customers were required to maintain a six-feet distance between each other, and the Madras High Court had ordered the ‘rationing’ of liquor, such directives were hardly put into practice. Serpentine queues were seen in several places, and many customers were either not wearing masks or wearing them improperly.

Despite the police having warned that residents of Chennai would be arrested if they travel to the neighbouring districts of Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur or Kancheepuram just to buy liquor, some managed to get hold of a few bottles. Though some of them were caught by the police, others escaped scrutiny due to the difficulty of verifying Aadhaar cards in crowded shops. Only 100 shops in the three neighbouring districts were opened, as the remaining 400-odd outlets were located in covid-19 containment zones or areas bordering Chennai.

Spike in cases

Though Tasmac had earlier said it would open 3,850 shops across the State, 150 outlets were not opened, in the wake of the spike in COVID-19 cases on Wednesday. “If new cases emerge [in] fresh spots, we will close the outlets there,” an official said. The police, however, said people were stopped a few hundred meters away from the shops, and tokens were issued to them.

Tipplers in Tiruppur, who were asked to bring umbrellas to maintain physical distancing, were seen using them to “reserve spots”.

Scores of women and children in Sellur, Madurai, attempted to block the reopening of the two shops in the locality.