A Venkatesh, a small businessman in Pothireddypally running a grocery shop, would be shutting down his shop from July 20 onwards for about a week. There is no official order to close the shop, but the merchant association of the town has decided to voluntarily close the shops as the number of COVID-19 cases have been increasing alarmingly, creating tension among the public as well as in the business community.
“An appeal to the public and business men: Coronavirus has been fast spreading in the town and on an average we are witnessing one death a day due to pandemic. Poor people are suffering heavily and unable to pay hospital bills running into lakhs of rupees. Now we have to save the lives of the public and protect ourselves. Self-control is the only way out to protect ourselves. Hence we have decided to observe voluntary lockdown for one week – 20-07-2020 to 26-07-2020. Hence, we appeal to the grain and grocery merchants to observe lockdown voluntarily,” said a pamphlet released by the Merchants’ Association on Saturday.
Not only the district headquarters town, but also other towns like Sadashivapet, Zaheerabad and Andol-Jogipet have been following the same and already enforcing lockdown.
Even in the neighbouring Siddipet district, the traders have been observing lockdown from Sunday and this will be in force till July 31. In Dubbak also the same is being followed and the weekly market on Saturday was closed down. The trade bandh is being observed by explaining the traders on how the virus has been spreading.
Dubbak is the town which witnessed the death of two persons in the same family due to COVID-19. Three more members from the same family tested positive and are undergoing treatment at the COVID-19 special ward established at the general hospital.
Similarly, 12 out of 14 members of a family in Ameenpur mandal headquarters have tested positive and were kept in quarantine.
