Come Corona Come: Crowds defeat social distancing

Despite being a Monday — generally no meat day — people throng non-veg outlets

Mysore/Mysuru: After staying indoors for just two days from May 29 due to tougher lockdown imposed by the Mysuru District Administration, people came out in large numbers this morning to purchase essential goods from 6 am to 12 noon. All the marketplaces in city were jam-packed with no social distancing and surprisingly, even the Police adopted a let-go attitude. 

Usually on Mondays, meat and fish stalls are closed as most of the people abstain from meat consumption. However, today, people rushed to buy non-vegetarian items mainly for them to store in their refrigerators for them to last till Thursday.

All meat and chicken outlets attracted customers, who stood in long queues to buy stocks. Seeing the crowds, meat, chicken and fish merchants heaved a sigh of relief as they had apprehended lack-lustre sales on Monday. They had even urged the District Administration to rethink the decision on opening meat shops on Monday and Thursday. The crowd belied the merchant’s expectations.   

Liquor shops too attracted crowds and many stores were open as early as 5.30 am. As the day dawned, most people had finished purchases under the cover of darkness and to avoid later rush. Bottles of various brands and sizes flew off the shelves as people had to rush to buy meat after purchasing liquor. 

Though there were crowds in front of vegetable and fruit outlets and inside markets, the numbers could not beat the crowds in front of meat and liquor shops. Bakeries, eateries, hotels and dry fruit stores too witnessed rush to take away parcels. 

All the social distancing norms were violated and people literally touched and leaned on each other in their enthusiasm to purchase goods and get back home early. This, however, defeated the very purpose of  the lockdown and the small shopping window. 

Crowds were surging by the minute at meat outlets in Hebbal, Surya Bakery Circle, K.G. Koppal, Vijayanagar High Tension Road, Kuvempunagar, Kumbarakoppal, Bogadi, Ramakrishnanagar and other areas while people thronged Santhepet, Shivarampet, Devaraja Market, Sayyaji Rao Road and surrounding areas to buy groceries. 

Along with essential item shops, many shops selling non-essential goods also were open from 6 am to 12 noon today. Cloth store, tea shops, barber shops, glassware and household item shops, steel and metal shops too were open. The Police, however, did not force-shut them and allowed them to make whatever business they could, till 12 noon. 

Many streets witnessed traffic jams as vehicles were allowed to be parked near shops unlike the earlier rule where people had to walk for purchases. Petrol bunks, though open daily, too witnessed rush today as many people who did not get out for two days wanted to fill up their vehicles today itself along with essential purchase. 

As the clock struck 12, the Police got into action and asked shops to down the shutters. Announcements were made through loudspeakers from PCR and Garuda vehicles and people were asked to head homes. By 12.30 pm, the streets wore a deserted look.