With 56 persons testing positive for COVID-19 in Erode district so far, the district police have intensified measures to curb motorists from unnecessarily plying on the road here on Saturday.
Earlier, barricades were erected only on arterial roads in the city and two-wheelers and four-wheelers were intercepted and motorists were questioned for the reason for their journey. But after 26 persons tested positive on Thursday, strict measures were in place and barricades were erected in many roads that led to the city and interior areas.
Since vegetable markets function till 9 a.m., the police step up vigil after that and question all the motorists plying on the roads. Besides checks, patrolling has been intensified by police personnel in each police station limits, including rural areas, and people were not allowed even to stand on the road.
A senior police official said that motorists only with genuine reasons were allowed to continue their journey while cases were registered against others and their vehicles impounded. He said that there is a significant decrease in the number of vehicles plying on the road after strict measures were put in place.
In Coimbatore, the police registered 581 cases and arrested 624 persons for violating the prohibitory order issued as part of national lockdown in Coimbatore on Friday. The police seized 529 vehicles from them.
The police also arrested four persons on charges of playing cards for money at Al Ameen Colony near Ukkadam on the same day.
Muhammed Farooq, 54, from Bialal Nagar, Sahul Hameed, 54, from Al Ameen Colony, Suresh Kumar, 37, from Kempatty Colony and Abbas, 45, from Karumbukadai were arrested according to the Bazaar Street police. The police seized ₹38,750 from them.
The Bazaar street police also registered two separate cases in connection with Friday namaz conducted in two places in its limit in violation of the prohibitory order.
