Even as the revised relaxation hours of 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the partial curfew imposed to check the spread of coronavirus came into force in the State on Monday, several parts of Chittoor district are still under complete lockdown or following the business hour schedule of 6 a.m to 2 p.m.
This tail-end areas flanked by Karnataka and Tamil Nadu had recorded more than 900 infections per day till June 20. However, the single-day tally fell to below 600 on Monday for the first time since May, with 80% of the cases from the rural areas.
Complete lockdown continues in Doddipalle and Anupalle localities of Chittoor Municipal Corporation, while the relaxation hours remain till afternoon in several divisions. Varadaiahpalem mandal, bordering with Tamil Nadu, saw curfew from 2 p.m. on Monday.
In view of the high positive cases in rural areas, the authorities are contemplating to limit the relaxation hours till afternoon for the next one week.
However, the officials heaved a sigh of relief as only 100 cases were reported in the urban belt comprising of the municipal corporations of Chittoor and Tirupati. The Punganur municipality recorded zero infections for the third consecutive day on Monday. The Palamaner municipality, after witnessing a decline in the infection count last week, saw the numbers going up again.
Rush at picnic spots
The effect of extension of the relaxation hours were seen at the picnic spots on Monday. A large number of visitors thronged the waterfalls at Kailasanatha Kona in Narayanavanam mandal on the Puttur- Chennai national highway. Tourists from several parts of Chennai and Tamil Nadu arrived at the spot in private buses and other vehicles. The compliance to COVID protocols was difficult as the crowd surged and the waterfalls zone is manned by only one employee.
The waterfalls at Ubbalamadugu in Varadaiahpalem and Bhupateswara Kona in Nagalapuram mandals also saw a heavy footfall of visitors from Tamil Nadu.
