While the district’s tally has touched the 60,000-mark accompanied by 640 deaths on Sunday, a majority of the cases are concentrated in Tirupati and its surroundings, in places including Renigunta, Srikalahasti, Chittoor and Madanapalle, and the rest of the mandals show a downward trend with double and single digit-cases.
The encouraging statistics has spurred the people to move about freely, without much caring about social distancing and wearing of mask in places with declining number. The district continues to report a daily average of 700-900.
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The eastern mandals, where the first signs of virus were seen in March, are now witnessing a relaxed mood among a cross section of public. The buzz at the vegetable and fish markets has returned in recent weeks, while crowds continue to swell at the meat shops. The presence of the police at traffic signals enforcing the face-mask norm remains totally missing all over. Similarly, the social distancing norm has only turned into a mirage for now.
After a lull of six months, a large number of roadside eateries are opening to good crowds. Dozens of new restaurants had opened in several towns and mandal headquarters in the district during the last one month.
Except for popular malls in Tirupati, the others elsewhere in the district are enforcing the guidelines in a relaxed manner, giving the option to the customers. The media reports against the use of substandard sanitizers at the malls and commercial outlets had only made the public to avoid the facility, while the owners too are found to be not insisting the customers to use them.
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Meanwhile, wearing of masks and other rules are still in place at the border check posts at Uttukota, Nagari and Pallipattu.