Flouting of COVID-19 norms is rampant

The scenario of people flouting COVID-19 norms by not wearing face masks was all too visible in the city on Sunday, even as the number of cases keeps rising every passing day.Many carried masks in the

The scenario of people flouting COVID-19 norms by not wearing face masks was all too visible in the city on Sunday, even as the number of cases keeps rising every passing day. Many carried masks in their pockets and chose to wear them only when they were confronted by authorities to avoid paying fines, while there were also people who threw caution to the wind and did not have masks at all. Some even blamed the scorching heat as a reason for not wearing the masks. “The fear factor is lost. People tend to think that COVID-19 is just a fever and it has become difficult to convince them about the harm that the virus can do,” a policeman posted near Mainguard Gate said. While officials of the Tiruchi Corporation and the City Police had come down heavily on violators during the lockdown last year, this time around, enforcement of COVID-19 safety protocol took a beating as many had been deployed on election duty and other works.