In a novel attempt to warn the violators of COVID-19 lockdown, Tiruppur District Police released an awareness video where violators are ‘punished’ by making them sit inside an ambulance with a person pretending to be a COVID-19 positive patient.
This entire video / play ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXZJQ846s6g&feature=youtu.be ) was staged by the police with the help of volunteers at Palladam on Thursday. The video, which runs for three minutes and 51 seconds, was uploaded to YouTube by the social media unit of the District Police and has garnered nationwide attention on various social media platforms on Friday.
The skit shows five youth riding without masks, who are riding on a couple of two-wheelers defying the prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144 and without wearing masks, are caught by the Palladam police during a vehicle check on Thursday afternoon.
“Do you know what will happen if you do not wear a mask?” Palladam Inspector (in-charge) G. Palaniyammal asks them and ushers them to an ambulance parked nearby. In the ambulance, a person was seen lying down wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), implying that he is a COVID-19 patient. Having been locked inside the ambulance by the police, the youths plead with the police to release them, and two of them escape through the open window of the vehicle. Their exaggerated actions are complemented with humourous sound effects.
Ms. Palaniammal addresses the viewers at the end of the video, noting that the youths realised the danger of COVID-19 after they realised that they are in proximity of the ‘patient’. “When you roam outside, you will not know who has [COVID-19],” she warns in the video, requesting the public to stay in their homes and wear masks while going outside for important requirements.
“I have been receiving phone calls since morning,” Ms. Palaniammal told The Hindu on Friday, adding that those who called her assured that the public will not venture out unnecessarily after watching this awareness sketch.
District Superintendent of Police Disha Mittal said that the social media team of the District Police conceptualised this awareness video earlier in the week and that she approved it on Thursday. “People are still roaming on the roads. We wanted to drive home the message that [COVID-19] is everywhere,” she told The Hindu over the phone. All the youth including the ‘patient’ were volunteers who agreed to be a part of this skit, the SP noted.
When asked whether the video inadvertently stigmatises COVID-19 patients, Ms. Mittal clarified it was “not about the patients” and rather stresses on the need for the public to be careful. “When you wake up to the reality, it should not be too late. That is the point which we were trying to drive home through this video,” Ms. Mittal said.
Published - April 24, 2020 07:01 pm IST
