No need to impose complete lockdown in dist: Collector

Coimbatore: The current situation in the district does not warrant a ‘complete lockdown’ as in Chennai, said collector K Rajamani on Tuesday.
This was because there was almost nil inflow of people from places where there are alarming number of Covid-19 cases, and almost the entire administration has been delegated on Covid-19 activities, he said.
However, the existing restrictions such as ban on gatherings in public places and overcrowding in commercial establishments, hotels etc., and the strict enforcement of wearing masks and maintaining social distancing would continue here, he said.
“As Chennai and other districts, where there are alarming number of Covid-19 cases, are under complete lockdown, there is almost nil inflow of people from there to the district. We have also tightened security at the check-posts,” he told TOI.
The collector added that they were testing 2,000 samples every day for Covid-19, and on average there were 10 positive cases each day. “We are lifting more number of samples from areas where we get positive cases, we are conducting vigorous contact tracing, and are also forming containment zones in some areas. With these measures, we hope that the situation in the district would get better within the period of complete lockdown in Chennai. As we have been taking such stricter measures, the present situation here doesn’t warrant a complete lockdown,” he said.
He said in the city limits, 20 flying squads have been formed to monitor whether people follow instructions on wearing masks, maintaining personal distancing and functioning of shops, commercial establishments, flower markets, fish and meat shops, and bakeries. Tahsildars and officials of the revenue department are also inspecting for violations. “These officials have been permitted to take on the spot action for violations,” the collector said.
So far, Rs 11 lakh has been collected as fine from people who had ventured out of their homes without wearing masks, and of this, sRs 8.5 lakh has been collected within the city limits, he said. Cases have been filed against 11 people who had violated home quarantine, and 16 commercial establishments have been sealed as they had allowed people to gather inside.
Earlier, he flagged off a posse of autorickshaws which would spread awareness messages using public announcement systems. He said more than 200 vehicles would spread Covid-19 awareness messages in corporation, town panchayat and village panchayat areas.