Vijayawada in the grip of lockdown
Vijayawada: Curfew like situation prevailed in old city and other containment areas in Vijayawada on Wednesday with the fresh lockdown restrictions imposed in the city by district administration as more than 120 cases reported in the district during the last six days.
Busy commercial areas wore a deserted look and people were prohibited from coming out of their homes in many areas of the city. Vastralata, the biggest textile and cloth shopping complex in the district, Krishnaveni cloth shopping complex, Kaleswara Rao market and other shops, commercial complexes closed down since morning.
Hundreds of police patrolled the street due to the fresh lockdown imposed in 42 divisions of the city. Due to rise of Covid-19 positive cases in the city, District Collector Md Imtiaz on Tuesday issued orders for the lockdown in 42 municipal divisions. Wholesale trading areas in one town, Gollapudi, Bhavanipuram, Hanuman Pet and other areas were in the containment zones. 'Un-lockdown 1.0' began on June 8 in the city with the reopening of restaurants, shopping malls and hotels after the gap of 70 days. Consequently, a large number of people came out of homes and visited the shops, hotels, restaurants and other places.
Pitiful condition is that approximately 30 percent people are not wearing masks in the public places and on roads. Physical distance goes for toss as people are seen overcrowded in many places like grocery shops, textile shops, electrical and home appliance showrooms, fancy shops, fish markets, mutton and chicken shops.
Keeping in view of the dangerous situation of increasing Covid-19 positive cases and more people get infected, the district administration decided to implement the lockdown again. This is the only option left for the district administration to control the overcrowding of people in public places. The rise in number of cases in recent days hints that community spread already in the city and it may become out of control, if the lockdown is not implemented again in the city.