MCT declares Tirupati as COVID containment zone

Night curfew and daytime strictures tightened further in Chittoor

Municipal Corporation of Tirupati (MCT) Commissioner P.S. Girisha on Monday said that the city had been declared as a ‘containment zone’, following the sharp spike in coronavirus infection in all the 50 divisions of the civic body.

“Denizens must exercise caution and adhere to all COVID protocols. People must give a top priority to wearing mask while venturing out for procuring provisions and attending inevitable engagements,” he told the media here.

Business hours

Tirupati MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy said that apart from the curfew imposed from 7 p.m. till 6 a.m. that would come to effect from Tuesday, the representatives of the various local groups and business associations had voluntarily come forward to open their shops from 7 a.m. till 2 p.m.

“All the drivers of autorickshaws and cabs have been told to strictly discourage overcrowding of vehicles,” the MLA said.

Referring to the ‘Ganga Jatara’ in Tirupati, Mr. Karunakar Reddy said that the temple officials and priests were sought to perform the rituals in ‘ekantham’ (in private) in view of the rise in the infection.

In Chittoor, Deputy SP N. Sudhakar Reddy said that the business associations in the limits of Chittoor Municipal Corporation had voluntary come forward to operate their shops between 6 a.m. and 1 p.m., while the night curfew would be in place as usual.

He said the police teams had been deployed at all important junctions to enforce the mask rule, adding that fines were being imposed on the violators.

TDP leader dies of COVID

Meanwhile, TDP leader Katari Praveen (40), husband of former Chittoor Mayor Katari Hemalatha, dies of coronavirus-related illness at a hospital in Tirupati in the early hours of Monday. TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu and general secretary Nara Lokesh expressed shock on the demise of Praveen and extended condolences to the bereaved family members.

Source: Read Full Article