Vegetable and fruit shops, markets are hotspots: official

‘They are among 4 major contributors to infection spread’

Stocking up: People queuing up at a shop near Thiruninravur on Saturday, ahead of the complete lockdown. M. Vedhan

The tightening of lockdown norms became necessary after vegetable and fruit shops and markets were turning into “spreaders” of COVID-19, according to a senior government official.

Asked about the decision to shut them, the official said such shops and markets were among the four major contributors to the spread of the infection.

The other three were workplaces, travel and social, religious and political gatherings.

Manpower requirement

The official added that even attenders of patients should be “curtailed drastically”. “This requires a significant increase in the number of medical and paramedical staff,” he said.

Several residents of Chennai recalled that the government’s announcement on Saturday afternoon, giving limited time for people to buy vegetables and groceries ahead of the lockdown, was similar to what the government did last April.