Covid norms thrown to wind for festive shopping

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, October 20

Repeated warnings about the possibility of the third wave of Covid-19 pandemic notwithstanding, residents are thronging marketplaces for festive shopping, throwing Covid norms to the wind.

With festival sales and temporary stalls coming up to lure customers, the number of shoppers as well as window shoppers is increasing by the day.“A majority of people have stopped wearing masks. Physical distancing is also not maintained in the markets. We can only request the customers to follow the prescribed norms,” says Gulshan, a local shopkeeper. A visit to the local marketplaces revealed that most of the shopkeepers as well as customers are not observing Covid-appropriate behaviour.

The Rohtak Deputy Commissioner, Capt Manoj Kumar, has exhorted residents to be cautious to stay away from Covid-19, which had resurfaced after the festive season last year.

“We should understand that even a little carelessness may prove dear. Covid has not vanished. The virus is still around and manifesting itself in different forms. Hence, we must be careful to avoid catching and spreading the infection,” he maintains.

The Deputy Commissioner has also appealed to the residents to get themselves and their family members vaccinated to stay safe and healthy.