Kerala Police scramble to impose stay-at-home orders
- | Saturday | 24th April, 2021
In some localities, police said they found it difficult to persuade people to follow the pandemic protocol. A conspicuous violation of the pandemic code occurred in Chittoor in Palakkad in the morning.
Police scrambled on Saturday to enforce the State government`s stay-at-home orders in Kerala. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had on Friday asked people to retreat indoors on the weekend and emerge out only to buy emergency supplies from neighborhood shops.
Nevertheless, State police officials said they found it challenging to staunch the flow of vehicles. Scores had turned outdoors armed with affidavits citing reasons for travel. Most said they required to stock up on provisions and perishables.
However, the police turned back many who had strayed kilometers away from their place of residence under the pretext of shopping for essentials. An official said the traffic had dwindled to a trickle in the afternoon in most parts of the State.
Police and revenue officials attempted to build a wall of extra vigilance and impose stricter curbs on movement around epidemic hotspots and demarcated containment zones.
With the help of elected local body representatives, local volunteers, and health workers, the police could seal off hotspots from adjoining localities to some measure.
In some localities, police said they found it difficult to persuade people to follow the pandemic protocol. A conspicuous violation of the pandemic code occurred in Chittoor in Palakkad in the morning.
People thronged the streets to witness horse racing held every two years as part of a local religious festival. The Palakkad police have booked the organizers on the charge of endangering public health.
Hotels, bars, gymnasiums, State-run liquor outlets, shops, supermarkets, public parks, beaches, cinemas, malls, and sports centers remained closed. A sprinkling of restaurants opened for home delivery and takeaway.
A government official claimed the lockdown did not disrupt farm or plantation work. Some medium and small-scale enterprises worked on minimal staff, he said.
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