With several citizens taking to roads on Monday despite the announcement of the lockdown of the district to contain the spread of COVID-19, authorities have come up with clear guidelines to be followed and the measures to be taken by the citizens without fail until March 31.
District Collector A. Md. Imtiaz announced that there would be a total shutdown of the city from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. every day.
He said establishments like hospitals and medical stores would remain open and movement of ambulances, milk, petrol and gas tankers, vehicles carrying essential commodities, meat, fish and poultry products would be allowed.
Collector said: “Local grocery shops, vegetable and fruit markets including rythu bazaars will be allowed to remain open to public only from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. in the city, while in the district, the stores will remain open from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Milk and dairy product stores will be open only between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m. ATM cash filling vehicles will be allowed only between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m.”
Vehicles of essential government service providers including police, fire, electricity, revenue, VMC, medical and health departments and private service providers including print and electronic media, telecom network providers would be allowed to move round-the-clock. Takeaway hotels will be open between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. All the banks will be operating with skeleton-staff, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and as per the rules of Indian Banks’ Association. Services related to cash deposits and withdrawals, payments, clearing services and government transactions would be allowed. However, ATMs will be open round the clock.
Police are enforcing the rules and those violating them could be booked under sections 188, 269, 270, 271 of Indian Penal Code.
Vijayawada Municipal Corporation commissioner V. Prasanna Venkatesh has appointed one special officer for every two municipal wards as part of the efforts to contain, control and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The special officers would monitor the prevention and containment activity and ensure surveillance tracking of foreign returnees, implementation of social distancing measures, availability of essential commodities and services, completion of the door-to-door surveillance and completion of contact tracing as per the protocols set by the government.
Rythu bazaars shifted
The three major rythu bazaars in the city would be shifted to alternative locations, which are open areas close to the existing locations to maintain social distancing. The Swaraj Maidan Rythu Bazaar would be shifted to Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation Stadium, Patamata Rythu Bazaar would be shifted to Patamata ZP High School premises and Kedareswara Peta Rythu Bazaar to Gandhiji Municipal School premises.
