Confusion marked the first day of the partial lifting of lockdown restrictions in the district with a huge number of people and vehicles pouring into the streets on Tuesday morning .
Following this, the police launched strict checking at different points and insisted that the people wear masks. A few shops which did not fall in the exemption category were directed to shut shop while restaurants and other essential stores were permitted to function.
Meanwhile, government offices in the district resumed operations with limited number of employees. Offices and premises were cleaned and disinfected and employees were allowed in after checking their temperature with infrared thermometers.
Attendance
While the Collectorate and mini civil station at Pala recorded 33% attendance each, the municipal offices witnessed a higher turnout. The employee attendance recorded at each of the municipal offices was — Kottayam (65), Erattupetta (70), Pala (61), Changanassery (64), Vaikom (50) and Ettumanur (50).
In Mahatma Gandhi University, 597 out of 1,286 employees turned up for duty. According to university authorities, 228 employees joined for work at A and B sections, while C and D sections recorded attendance of 369 persons. University authorities have ensured vehicles to ferry employees from various parts of the district.
Besides restricting the entry of visitors to the university campus, the authorities have set up sanitiser kiosks for employees in various parts of the campus as part of the ‘break the chain’ campaign.
‘No’ to dining in
The district administration had earlier revised the conditions of lockdown exemptions in line with a direction issued by the State government. Permission for dining in restaurants and functioning of hairdressing salons, textile shops and jewellery stores has been cancelled. The Collector had also requested the people to avoid stepping out of houses unnecessarily.
