Vijayawada: Janata Curfew draws huge response

Vijayawada: People in Vijayawada city observed total lockdown and stayed indoors on Sunday in response to the Janata Curfew call given by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to check the spread of coronavirus.

The Curfew was observed voluntarily and all commercial establishments and business malls remained closed on the main roads in the city. Vijayawada Railway station, Pandit Nehru Bus Station, commercial establishments and other areas wore a deserted look from the early morning. Lakhs of people stayed indoors from morning to evening and extended full support to Janata Curfew.

Thousands of police patrolled the roads and prevented people from moving on the roads as part of Janata Curfew. Two National Highways Chennai-Kolkata and Hyderabad-Machilipatnam wore a deserted look as vehicles were off the highways. People are on high alert since the news broke out that one corona positive case has been reported in the city. A 24-year-old student came from Germany via New Delhi and Hyderabad was tested positive.

The police and municipal officials have cordoned off one kilometre area in I Town and conducted medical tests to 500 persons in the area. It is the first positive case in the city since the corona threat broke out in the country two weeks ago.

Important commercial places like Beasant Road, Eluru road, Gandhi Nagar, Samarangam Chowk and Kaleswara Rao Market wore a deserted look.

With the cancellation of passenger and express trains, there were no passengers and Railway station premises wore a deserted look. Similarly, Pandit Nehru Bus Station wore deserted look as the RTC cancelled more than 10,000 bus services on Sunday.

With the closure of Rythu Bazaars and other shops, people could not buy milk and vegetables. Very limited shops were opened in some parts of the city before 7 a.m. and later all shops were closed.

Parents with infants suffered due to non-availability of milk packets. Some people purchased milk at the Vijaya dairy parlour at Lenin Centre.

Hundreds of police patrolled the roads across the city and blocked the junctions that connect to Machilipatnam, Nuzvid, Eluru, Tadepalli and Ibrahimpatnam. People stayed indoors till evening and thousands of people came out of homes in evening to clap and give moral boost to doctors, para-medical staff, police and others who are dedicating their services to the people.

Commissioner of Police Dwaraka Tirumala Rao has announced the Section 144 will be extended to three more days in the city till March 25 in view of the positive case reported in the city.