TENKASI: Covid-19 safety norms were thrown to the wind in most of the polling stations in the final phase of the rural local body poll on Saturday.
Health department volunteers distributed only one glove to voters though both hands are required to vote with ballots. A few voters did not wear even that single glove. Booths lacked ‘social distancing circle’ also.
The voters, however, were seen wearing masks and volunteers distributed masks to those who did not bring one. Also all the voters were provided with the sanitiser. Polling staff had taken at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccination.
Awareness posters on Covid-19 were displayed at polling stations. “The supply of the hand gloves was only for one hand of the voters. The voters could use one of their hands to handle the common seal and marker,” said District Election Officer -cum-District Collector S Gopala Sundararaj.