Coimbatore Corporation has declared as partial containment zones the areas it considers vulnerable to COVID-19 and placed a few restrictions.
Sharing the details with The Hindu , Commissioner Sravan Kumar Jatavath said the areas it had declared and would declare as partial containment zones were those that had a high concentration of commercial establishments, high population density and prone to quick spread of the SARS-CoV-2 (corona) virus. The partial containment zones did not mean that one or more persons had tested positive for COVID-19. In areas that had the positive cases, the Corporation imposed complete restriction on movement of people by declaring those as containment zones.
In the partial zones the Corporation would impose restrictions like placing barricades to prevent entry of outsiders, restricting the timing of the functioning of shops selling essential commodities while closing other types of commercial establishments and a few more.
Mr. Jatavath said people within the partial containment zones could go out for work or for very essential needs but people from outside the area would not be allowed to enter.
In the partial containment zones and also the core business district in the city, the Corporation was also exploring the possibility of restricting hawkers and street vendors. It was only a temporary measure, he hastened to add. The Corporation felt it was necessary to do so because the hawkers and street vendors drew a good crowd while failing to ensure physical distancing norms. In another development, Commissioner Mr. Jatavath handed over three autorickshaws to the Selvapuram Police after he found the drivers without mask and asking passengers to maintain social distance.
This was during his morning inspection on Vysial Street, said sources. He also asked zonal assistant commissioners to take steps to ensure that daily wagers like construction workers maintained social distancing while awaiting work at their regular waiting spots. He issued the instruction after finding labourers gathered on 80 Feet Road, Ramanathapuram. He asked the officials to throw open the nearest Corporation school for the labourers to wait.
