Monday, September 7, 2020

COVID-19 norms violated on lockdown-free Sunday

COVID-19 norms violated on lockdown-free Sunday

Many throng public places without wearing masks

07/09/2020

Warnings ignored: Many families spent time on Marina Beach on Sunday, though officially, it remains closed to visitors. R. Ragu

Vivek Narayanan CHENNAI

Basic COVID-19 safety protocols, like maintaining adequate physical distance and wearing masks properly, were compromised in many places across Tamil Nadu, particularly in Chennai, during the first lockdown-free Sunday following the unveiling of ‘Unlock 4.0’.

Crowds thronged public places, including open markets, playgrounds and Marina Beach (though officially, the beach is closed to visitors), with people moving about shoulder-to-shoulder in some areas.

Crowds everywhere

In Srirangam, devotees were seen standing in close proximity to each other. In Chennai, families, including children, thronged Marina Beach, and youngsters were spotted playing cricket and football on the Corporation playgrounds. The Marina Service Road was busy, with walkers, joggers and skaters using it.

“Most of them had masks but they wore it on the jaw. A few helpless police personnel were watching people walk past. It appeared as if the city [believed it] had become COVID-19-free,” said M. Jaishankar, an autorickshaw driver.

In the evening, many families spent time on the beach, again without wearing masks. “The police are unable to control [the situation] as the number of visitors is more,” said S. Ethiraj, a resident of Nochikuppam.

Youngsters had a field day, playing outside after a long time. Somasundaram Ground in T. Nagar, Chennai, was full of youngsters, many of whom were not wearing masks.

“Grounds have been opened for morning walks. Now, it is up to the public to follow safety measures and be cautious till the virus goes away. Though the government cannot be blamed, it could put in place a mechanism to monitor the crowd, especially after seeing such incidents,” said V.S. Jayaraman, a T. Nagar resident.

Out in the open

“We were happy to hear that the grounds have been opened. Many of those who had come to play wore masks. Most of them used kerchiefs to cover their nose and mouth. We were not standing close to each other,” said Raju, who was playing in Pallavaram.

People were playing football on the ground behind the Foreshore Estate Police Station. Many were not wearing masks, according to residents.

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