Amid surge in COVID-19 cases in Tiruchi, the City Police embarked on an awareness drive besides distributing masks to those who were found without masks in public places here on Thursday.
Teams of Traffic Police personnel positioned themselves at various vantage points all over the city distributing masks free of cost to those who were found not wearing them during the ongoing pandemic period.
The free distribution of masks were carried out places, including Mambazha Salai, Anna Statue near Chinthamani, Main Guard Gate, Kohinoor Theatre Junction, Puthur Four Road, near Railway Junction, Central bus stand, Othakadai and Mannarpuram. The awareness drive and the free distribution of masks were done on the instruction of the Commissioner of Police, said police sources. Field-level police officers said people found in public places without wearing masks were advised to wear it in the wake of the surge in COVID-19 cases in Tiruchi and elsewhere in the State so as to guard themselves from getting infected. The rapid spread of the viral infection was also being conveyed to the public.
Shamianas were installed at vantage points where the need to strictly adhere to safety protocols such as wearing masks, maintaining personal distancing at public places and hand washing were being driven home to the general public besides the symptoms of COVID-19 as part of awareness creation, the officers further said that awareness was also being created through public address system and distribution of pamphlets on the precautionary measures to be taken to prevent oneself from getting infected.
Alongside awareness creation, the Police were also booking cases against those found not wearing masks besides imposing fines on them. The City Police on Wednesday alone had booked cases against 1,174 persons who were found not wearing masks in public places and realised ₹2.34 lakh as fine from them. Sixty-seven cases were booked separately against those who did not adhere to personal distancing with the fine amount collected from them being ₹33,500, according to the police.
