Mysore/Mysuru: The entire Mysuru City wore a deserted look today as residents observed a voluntary bandh in support of the Government’s enforcement of complete lockdown on all Sundays from July 5 to Aug. 2, as a measure to contain the spread of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

The KSRTC had suspended bus services for the entire day on account of the total lockdown. The city and Sub-urban Bus Stand wore a deserted look. Also, autos, taxis, maxicabs and other modes of public transport were off the roads. Barring  medical shops, health establishments, grocery and vegetable shops, meat shops and other shops selling essential commodities, all other commercial and business establishments were shut.

The ever busy central business district witnessed no activity, as all shops and establishments at K.R. Circle, Sayyaji Rao Road, K.T. Street, N.S. Road, Dewan’s Road, Shivarampet, Santhepet, D. Devaraj Urs Road and Dhanvantri Road remained closed.

The Police had installed barricades on all main roads and other thoroughfares of the city to stop public and vehicular movement. Only vehicles and people engaged in essential services and activities were allowed to travel. With citizens voluntarily observing  a virtual bandh, hardly a handful of pedestrians and vehicles were seen on most roads in all localities of the city.

The Sunday total lockdown actually extends to 35 hours, as all business activities closed from 6 pm yesterday itself, as the district administration has enforced lockdown on all days from 6 pm to 5 am. Today being Statewide Sunday lockdown, all business activities will resume only after 5 am tomorrow.

Meanwhile, in several areas of Narasimharaja and Chamaraja Assembly segments, where the Deputy Commissioner has declared them as restricted zones till July 24 in the wake of COVID-19 spread, Police were deployed in large numbers to check vehicular and public movements on busy roads and areas such as Shivaji Road, Maruthi Circle, Nazarbad, Mandi Mohalla, Lashkar Mohalla and Udayagiri, to ensure strict enforcement of Lockdown.

The next Statewide Total Sunday lockdown is on July 26 and Aug. 2 and it is not yet clear as of now whether the Government will extend it further, in the wake of rapid spread of the deadly COVID-19 epidemic.