CHENNAI: The state police have intensified the lockdown crackdown as the number of cases registered rose from 10,502 on Wednesday to 21,353 on Friday. Public were advised to follow COVID-appropriate behaviour such as wearing masks, frequent use of sanitizers and maintenance of physical distance.
For the last four days until Thursday, police personnel have been campaigning using public addressable systems and distributing pamphlets. However, people were still seen roaming on roads flouting lockdown norms.
Drones were used at crucial points in the city to monitor public and vehicular movement. Police used the drones from rooftops of houses to monitor narrow streets and congested localities, and check if people were loitering.
The city roads, which were hustling with vehicles in the morning, went silent after 10 in the morning. The city roads mostly wore a deserted look as only a few vehicles hit them, and police said that only essential workers and people in need of medical assistance took the roads later. Most of the flyovers and bridges were closed, and police had set up over 200 checkpoints in the city.