Barring a rush on the roads during the initial hours, the public largely remained indoors in Thiruvananthapuram district on the first day of the triple lockdown on Monday. Twenty access points to the State capital were sealed to streamline entry and exit through six other points viz. Vetturoad, Maruthoor, Vazhayila, Kundamankadavu, Pallichal, and Chappathu.
The arrangement led to serpentine queues of motorists at these locations during the initial hours of the day with the police screening all vehicles. Access was permitted only for those involved in essential or other services exempted from the lockdown, and others requiring emergency medical attention.
District Collector Navjot Khosa said e-curfew passes would be issued for home nurses, caregivers and others with justifiable purposes. Since around 90 of the 100 wards in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation have become containment zones, perimeter control has been put in place to regulate public movement.
‘Misusing permission’
City Police Commissioner Balram Kumar Upadhyay said there had been attempts to misuse permission granted. There has been a tendency to travel unnecessarily, claiming medical reasons. Such activities will be dealt with stringently, he said.
Police sources said the rush on the roads could be partly attributed to the functioning of shops selling essential commodities. The district administration has permitted such outlets to function on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Ambulances in trouble
The move to barricade byroads drew flak with many ambulance drivers complaining of having to wait in queues while transporting patients to hospitals. This prompted the police to designate emergency routes to the Government Medical College Hospital, General Hospital and other major hospitals in the city.
The coastal and rural parts of the district witnessed heightened alert. Vehicles from Tamil Nadu were permitted entry at the Inchivila inter-State border only after furnishing passes obtained from the COVID-19 Jagratha portal.
