CHANDIGARH: Despite authorities asking public to stay indoors amid a nationwide lockdown, people in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh ventured outside to purchase essential items leading to panic-buying as they stocked up supplies.
Also, around 180 people, mostly women, fell ill after reportedly eating food made of "kuttu" flour, used during navaratra in Yamunanagar and Jagadhri towns in Haryana. As they complained of stomachache and vomiting, around 60 of them were admitted to Mukund Lal District Civil Hospital, Yamunanagar and 120 were admitted to Civil Hospital Jagadhri.
"The patients told us that they had eaten food made of 'kuttu', a flour used during navaratra which started on Wednesday evening. Thus, they were complaining of vomiting, abdominal pain, giddiness and mild tremors. Their condition has improved and are stable now," said an official.
Meanwhile, reports from across the regions said that today morning despite the imposition of the curfew, people went out on their vehicles to shops and places and bought vegetables, milk, medicines and other eatables.
In Punjab at Patiala, Rajpura and other places, people were out early in the morning and bought essentials from shops and vegetable markets. In Himachal Pradesh many people were seen outside ration shops in Solan, Dharampur and Kasauli besides other towns. People openly flouted social-distancing norms at vegetable market in Panipat in Haryana.
At all places, traders told public not to panic and purchase less quantities but the people were arguing to buy large quantities of groceries including flour, rice, pulses, oil, masalas and vegetable.
Earlier, the Punjab Police decided to allow movement of only trucks on highways and roads. A tweet from the official handle of Punjab DGP read, "For smooth movement of essential goods, Punjab will permit, even facilitate, movement of trucks on all highways & roads of the State."