As curbs kick in, city turns into ghost town

Coimbatore: On the first day of the new Covid-19 containment restrictions came into force on Thursday, the busy Cross Cut Road, 100 Feet Road, Big Bazaar Road, Oppanakkara Street and other commercial areas in the city wore a deserted look with almost all shops closed by noon.
As many as 756 police personnel were deployed in the city to enforce the new restrictions.
Tasmac outlets were teeming with customers from early morning as they could remain open only from 8am to noon.
Though buses could operate with 50% passengers, most buses plied with less than 50% of passengers.
Only 50% of government employees came for work.
Ukkadam fish market secretary Jaffar Ali said that the fish market shops were following the Covid-19 norms strictly.
“We are cooperating with the state government to control the spread of Covid-19. Our business started around 10am and we closed it at noon. We were not able to earn enough in the two hours business and we were struggling to provide salary to our staff. We are requesting the state government to increase the timing,” Jaffar Ali said.
“We did not register any case as all the shops were closed by noon,” said G Stalin, Deputy Commissioner of Police (law&order), Coimbatore city.
City corporation commissioner Kumaravel Pandian inspected a vegetable market at Ramar Kovil street at Ukkadam. He also visited grocery shops, rice shops, bakeries on Range Gowder Street, Big Bazaar Street, TK Market, Raja Street and Karuppagounder Street.
He imposed a fine of Rs 200 each for 11 people for not wearing face masks and imposed Rs 500 each to two shopkeepers for failing to maintain social distancing among their customers.
Grocery, fish and meat shops were opened from 6am to noon. Hotels saw brisk business in take-away (parcel) service.
Petrol bunks and medical shops functioned as usual while milk supply went off smoothly in the city.