The lockdown announcement at 2 p.m. on Tuesday didn’t catch anyone by surprise. But supermarkets had to shutter their doors as customers rushed to make last minute purchases. And liquor shops saw massive rush across the city as tipplers tried to stock up. “I had to buy pulses and eggs. As I was expecting the lockdown I had stocked up on groceries and cereals so I was not affected,” said a resident of Khairatabad who shopped at More Supermarket.
“I have been living in a self-imposed lockdown for the past 20 days. The announcement doesn’t change anything for me. I may have to go out and buy few veggies,” said G. Venkatesh who lives in Tarnaka.
Liquor shops saw huge rush with tickled passersby photographing and recording videos of the long queues of people waiting with bags to make purchases. Others hauled cartons to be loaded on to their vehicles before zipping away.
“I got to know about the lockdown at 4 p.m. and rushed here. It took me 45 minutes to buy what I wanted,” said Dorababu, one of the shoppers at a liquor shop in Radhakrishna Nagar. While physical distancing norms went for a toss, other liquor shops that had queue barriers didn’t fare any better as people jostled for making their purchases. Tonique in Jubilee Hills had a line that stretched out of the shop and winded around the Metro steps.
According to sources, the liquor shops will be allowed to remain open between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m.
