Tirupati: Traders impose self-restrictions to curb further spread of Covid

Tirupati: The ever-increasing Covid-19 positive cases in the pilgrim city have been severely worrying the denizens. With the cases are fast nearing 1,000 mark in the city and the officials have ruled out any further official lockdown, the trading community has decided to go with self-imposed time restrictions by reducing the trading hours from Monday onwards.

They already appraised the authorities to take an official decision in this regard. As the officials are reluctant to another lockdown, the traders have come forward to self-restrict the business hours. The President of Tirupati Chamber of Commerce A Manjunath and Secretary P Madhusudhana Rao have told The Hans India that all business establishments will function till 2 pm only daily from Monday.

They stated that the Chamber will extend all cooperation to the district officials to control the spread of the coronavirus. They said that all traders including tiles and sanitary association, bullion, gold jewellery and silver merchants association, food grains merchants welfare association, foot wear merchants welfare association and several others have decided to abide by the decision.

Already traders in Chittoor, Piler and some other places have restricted their business hours. The threat of the virus is scaring all sections of the people. Several people's representatives and important political leaders have gone to self-quarantine and are not coming out.

Sri Padmavathy Mahila Visvavidyalayam has announced closure of the university for one week in view of the surge in Covid cases in the city.

The virus has infected hundreds of government employees, teachers, security personnel, doctors, nurses and other para medical staff. The death toll is also increasing steadily. By now about 25 Covid deaths have taken place in the district though officials say that a couple of them were tested positive after their death.