Toeing the line of State Government, Municipal Commissioner Radhakrishnan B has notified guidelines for enhanced curbs for next fortnight to break transmission chain of novel coronavirus. One of the important points is imposition of Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code about banning assembly of four or more persons along with curfew like conditions to ensure people do not unnecessarily move out.

 

 

 

Though not imposing lockdown, State wants to keep on with exemption to sectors including financial and industry so that economy is not affected, it still wants others to avoid crowding. So as announced earlier, barring the category mentioned in essential services like grocery store, milk delivery centres, dairies, banks, post office, broker offices, opticians, hospitals, the other stores would remain closed. As to grocery also now new norms state that only home delivery is permitted, means citizens are not allowed to visit neighbouring stores for physical purchases. The notification issued by Municipal Commissioner along with attached advisory from State Government is word to word similar to one issued when curbs were first announced on April 6.

 

There is no explicit mention of words like curfew or home delivery of grocery though some agencies are mentioning that police force is directed to ensure that people do not move unnecessarily on streets. But police force itself is exhausted and is not going to exert to much pressure in checking each and every person moving out on the street as was seen during last few days. So the State Government is banking more or less on self discipline on part of citizens to give serious thought to help in breaking the transmission chain given the increasing load on health machinery who desperately needs break.