The day-long relaxation of lockdown norms on Friday made people scramble for supplies in shops in different parts of the district. Some towns witnessed traffic jams as people came out in bikes, cars, autorickshaws and mini-vans. The district witnessed a shopping spree as people went about collecting various items, including footwear, mobile phone accessories, textiles, home appliances, stationery and hardware, in a hurry. Many parked their vehicles by the roadside, leading to congestion in towns.
Particularly affected was Manjeri town, where the entrance to the Government Medical College was blocked for quite a while, following traffic jams. “This rush is a testimony to people’s frustration. Apparently they do not fear the spread of COVID-19 as they ought to,” said Mohammed Aslam, a school teacher who came out to buy stationery items.
The police too appeared confused as people poured out in large numbers for “valid reasons”. Shops offering repair of various items, including mobile phones, computers, electronics, eyewear and hardware, were open. “Almost everyone is coming out with a plausible reason. Sometimes we get confused when hundreds of vehicles pour into the town in the guise of lockdown relaxations,” said a police officer on vehicle checking duty here.
District Police Chief Sujith Das S. said it was tough to implement a relaxed lockdown. “When there is a complete lockdown, it is easy to implement. Our job becomes really tough when there is relaxation to the restrictions,” he said.
Long queues of people were seen in front of vaccination centres in the district. Introduction of spot registration for COVID-19 vaccine made people rush for the jabs, resulting in traffic jams and crowds on the roads.