Youngsters outdoors? Parents to be booked

The police are collecting CCTV footage as evidence to use against the violators.Guntur’s odd-even scheme for essentials rolled back
Relatives of a woman who had severe Covid-19 symptoms and was hospitalised, being taken for testing in Vijayawada on Tuesday | Prasant Madugula
Relatives of a woman who had severe Covid-19 symptoms and was hospitalised, being taken for testing in Vijayawada on Tuesday | Prasant Madugula

GUNTUR/KURNOOL/VIJAYAWADA: With a spike in cases in Guntur, Vijayawada and Kurnool, the focus has shifted to the strict enforcement of the lockdown in these cities. In Guntur and Vijayawada, the police are penalising those who leave their houses for non-emergency work.

Lockdown violators, particularly youngsters who roam around on two-wheelers, are being dealt with sternly. The police warned that their parents would be booked, and on Tuesday registered 11 cases against 57 people and seized 35 vehicles in Guntur city. The police are collecting CCTV footage as evidence to use against the violators.Guntur’s odd-even scheme for essentials rolled back

In Guntur, which has recorded 109 cases, the district administration reversed its decision to let shops selling essential supplies open only on alternate days. This was reportedly because a large number of people came out to buy goods on Tuesday, anticipating that the odd-even rule would disrupt the supply of essentials. District Collector I Samuel Anand Kumar said shops would be open every day from 6 to 9 am to prevent crowding.

In Narasaraopet, where six Covid-19 cases were registered, the police closed 44 roads leading to Varavakatta, Ramireddypeta and Arundelpet. Officials are supplying essential commodities, milk and vegetables in red zones at Macherla, Karampudi, Achempeta, Krosuru, Ponnuru and other parts of Guntur district. DSP M Veera Reddy warned shopkeepers, saying they would be booked for working beyond the stipulated time.

According to district officials, Kurnool registered nine more positive cases, taking its tally to 93, the second-highest in Andhra Pradesh. The district administration has declared 39 red zones covering the places where the cases were recorded. Kurnool city and Nandyal town accounted for 30 and 19 cases respectively. The lockdown left roads deserted. District SP K Fakeerappa said people who were on the roads beyond the stipulated timings would be booked.

Eight positive cases were reported in Vijayawada, prompting the authorities to list eight more areas as red zones. Check posts were set up and police personnel were deployed to restrict the movement of people. Volunteers and ANMs launched door-to-door surveys to identify people with Covid-19 symptoms. At present, 40 out of 64 wards in the city have been declared as red zones.

Krishna Collector A Md Imtiaz directed officials of the respective wards to conduct a survey within 3 km of the containment clusters. Special swab collection booths will be arranged at the containment clusters, and at least 100 samples will be collected each day from the red zones. “We request primary and secondary contacts of people who tested positive to get tested in containment clusters. Relaxation will be provided at the clusters if positive cases are not reported in the next 28 days,” he said.

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