Unlock Day 1 in Hyderabad: Crowds swell in markets, malls & hotels

Hyderabad: On day one of unlock, crowds swelled in markets, roadside eateries. Malls witnessed good crowds. At some of the landmark places people were seen taking selfies removing masks as it was a farewell party to the corona virus.

Despite witnessing two waves that played havoc with people and the economy, people do not seem to realise that the corona will continue to be around for some more time and they need to be careful till all age groups, including children, are vaccinated. The pre-corona situation can be seen only after all segments of society are vaccinated.

A visit to the biggest fruit and vegetable markets, shopping malls, and hotels by The Hans India proved that people were not willing to abide by the Covid appropriate behaviour unless there was fear of "danda."

When asked why they were not properly wearing face masks and why social distancing was not being followed, they had all kinds of excuses but the minute they saw a cop walking towards them, they all pulled up the masks covering nose and mouth. The fear was that the police would slap a fine of Rs 1,000.

Even in TSRTC buses, though occupancy was just 60 per cent, many were seen without masks. Marketing head of a shopping mall in Kukatpally, Ratan Kumar, said, "With the lifting of lockdown and being a Sunday, the footfall was high. Cafeterias and food corners in the mall did good business.

Several people even uploaded group photos on social media while enjoying tea with snacks, lunch, or dinner in hotels and restaurants." Covid norms could be enforced when customers enter the malls or shops but not when they are freely moving in the corridors of the malls.

Social distancing was nowhere to be seen in flower markets like Moazzam Jahi market, Kothapet, Gudimalkapur markets, Rythu Bazars, Sultan Bazar market, Mir Alam Mandi, fish market, and wholesale stores in Begum Bazar.

Owners of a popular restaurant in Madhapur, Ranjit and Sudhakar, said, for over one-and-a-half months, they have been catering to online orders but now they are ready with a new mouth-watering menu to bring back the customers to dining tables.

He said as far as the restaurant was concerned, they were strictly following Covid norms. "All my staff is vaccinated," he said. However, pubs and bars would open from Monday.