The Thiruvananthapuram City police have begun to act tough against motorists violating the odd-even road-rationing scheme for vehicles implemented in the State during the lockdown.
Two hundred motorists were booked under the Kerala Epidemic Diseases Ordinance, 2020, and their vehicles confiscated on Tuesday for violating the system. Under the scheme, vehicles with odd registration numbers will be permitted to operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and those with even registration numbers can be taken out on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Vehicles used by women and those coming under the essential services category have been exempted.
According to District Police Chief (Thiruvananthapuram city) Balram Kumar Upadhyay, the odd-even scheme will be enforced throughout the lockdown.
Cases registered
The City police also registered cases against 267 people for violating lockdown rules. Among them, 68 people were booked for failing to wear masks outdoors. The Thiruvananthapuram Rural police also registered 539 cases, arrested 549 people, and seized 328 vehicles.
The partial relaxation of restrictions in the city showed signs of spiralling out of control after a heavy rush that formed at the Chala bazaar prompted the police to order the closure of many shops. In a throwback to the pre-COVID-19 lockdown scenario, numerous people thronged the area while goods and other private vehicles congested the narrow roads within the market place as soon as business began.
This paved the way for the police to close several shops that sold non-essential items and restrict access for vehicles. Certain interior roads were also sealed. Considering the threat associated with allowing commercial establishments to function in full-swing, police officers hinted at restrictions to be imposed in the market.
The district administration placed 152 people under observation on Tuesday, while 102 people were excluded from the quarantine list after they completed the mandated isolation period.
As many as 2,075 people were being monitored in the district. Of these, 1,921 people were quarantined in their homes. Ninety-seven people were placed under observation in the corona care centre in the Mar Ivanios College hostel. While 11 symptomatic people were admitted to various hospitals, 16 people have been discharged.
Two COVID-19 patients, an 80-year old woman from Manacaud and a 45-year old man from Varkala, were discharged from the Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital after recovering from the infection. District Collector K. Gopalakrishnan and other senior officials accorded them a farewell.