Here is an irony. When more than 60 per cent of the Covid patients of Sambalpur district are from the Sambalpur Municipal Corporation area alone, the residents here are taking the Coronavirus transmission in a casual way and are flouting the Covid rules in an irresponsible manner.
More surprisingly, if anywhere, there is heavy rush in the every foreign liquor shop though the rush before shops selling essential commodities is also a matter of concern. Not one or two bottles, some people were even taking cartons of liquor bottles, as if it was a life saving drug. And to one’s utter astonishment, there is not a single home guard, not to speak about senior police officers, to stand guard where the rush is heavy.
Consequently, people are making a mockery of social distancing or Covid guidelines in Sambalpur headquarters town.
The Government and local administration has made it very clear that grocery, fruit and vegetable shops will remain open for six hours every day. And liquor will be available online.
But people are seen making a beeline everywhere including grocery shops and big malls. From the experience of Monday and Tuesday, it is well marked that the city dwellers have little care or fear towards the upward Corona graph in the district and town area in particular. From April 29 to May 3, the situation was alarming. On Monday a whopping 520 positive cases were reported. Still, the residents look unperturbed.
It is a good sign that the number of Covid patients is low in the nine blocks of the district where the healthcare is not as developed as the district headquarters and the municipal corporation area.
But people allege that when police seal small grocery shops for violation of Covid guidelines, they hardly take any step for malls and liquor shops where violations are rampant.