CHENNAI: The city police are coming down hard on people who are not wearing face masks. Between Sunday and Tuesday, they have booked more than 10,321 people and collected over Rs 20 lakh as fine.
They have also seized 317 vehicles, and booked 41 people for not following physical distancing norms. A Special Mask Enforcement Team, under the supervision of Commissioner Shankar Jiwal, will also book the violators.
“Chennaites have put their guards down and are under the perception that the pandemic is over,” said a senior police officer. The police have been advising people through microphones at traffic signals, to wear masks. They have also put up checkpoints in over 216 places around the city.
“We have deployed personnel at interior roads where people usually enter to evade police,” said an officer. Crowded places like Parrys corner, Central Railway station, Mint Junction, Pondy Bazaar, Vadapalani, and Royapuram are also under the scanner.
“During vehicle checks, we find some people repeatedly getting caught. They say the pandemic is over and there is no need to wear mask,” said E Kannan, a police inspector.
The newly formed Tambaram and Avadi Commissionerates have also started slapping cases on violators.
The Avadi Commissionerate has booked over 600 cases.
The Chengalpattu police, however, are focusing more on spreading awareness to the public than booking them. Superintendent of Police Aravindan told TNIE that they have fined only ten people on Tuesday.
‘Only 5% of Covid beds are occupied’
Amid the rapid increase in the number of cases in the State, Health Secretary J Radhakrishan assured that TN’s health infrastructure has been strengthened to handle the cases, and asked people not to panic.
Radhakrishnan said there are a total of 1,16,587 beds ready in various facilities across the State, and that their overall occupancy is only under five per cent at present.
The health secreatary added that the State currently has capacity to store 1730 tonnes (217 in private) of oxygen in tanks and cylinders