Visakhapatnam: Despite increase in cases, shandies continue to operate

Visakhapatnam: Sticking to Covid norms goes for a toss and so is the surveillance at a place where large gatherings are witnessed at regular intervals. Given the current situation, these centres pose a high-risk for the spread of Covid-19. As the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic rages, fish markets, shandies in neighbourhoods and fast food centres continue to draw big crowds.

Even in posh urban localities, shandies appear to be a weekly feature. However, in areas such as Gajuwaka and Gopalapatnam, they will be held twice a week.

Maintaining social distance is next to impossible here as hundreds of people visit the place to bring home a list of products sold in the market.

The vendors at shandies arrive from interior villages and it is difficult to keep a track of their health condition. For the tribals in Agency areas, shandies are the only source of market to get their weekly groceries, veggies and other essentials. From clothes to pots and fancy items, these markets provide a platform for the locals to shop every item required to run errands.

The situation in fish markets is no different either. Those paying a visit to these places could not maintain physical distance as they will be packed most of the time.

Though the surveillance on those not wearing masks in public places has increased in Visakhapatnam, the places where hundreds gather on a regular basis are left unmonitored.

There is a need to focus on these markets before they become 'super spreaders' of virus, especially at a time when Visakhapatnam is registering not less than 1,000 active cases a day.

With most vendors reaching the city from rural areas during weekly markets, there is a higher chance of contracting Covid-19 by the time they reach their home. Earlier, K Lokanadham of CPI, Visakhapatnam district committee, appealed to the officials concerned to discontinue weekly shandies to curb the spread of the virus.

The district administration needs to consider concrete measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus and discontinuance of weekly market draws larger attention more than ever before.