COVID-19 norms flouted at Ludhiana Subzi Mandi

Ludhiana (Punjab) [India], May 11 (ANI): Amid rising cases of Coronavirus, people were seen flouting COVID-19 guidelines at the largest vegetable market of Punjab, the Ludhiana Subzi Mandi on Tuesday.

Ajay Kumar, a vegetable vendor at the mandi speaking to ANI said, "I have been working here since last 25 years. More customers are visiting the maket because of restricted hours of the opening of the mandi. Due to summers, people are buying vegetables in small quantities because of the fear of them getting rotten. The rates have gone down because the produce is more but the demand is less."

He further said, "There is no social distancing, half of them are not wearing masks. There is no provision of sanitiser either. The situation inside the mandi is really bad. It seems most of the people do not know what coronavirus is or they are not understanding the seriousness of this deadly disease."
Another vendor, Satish Kumar said, "Since all the small vegetable shops in residential areas are shut, there is a lot of rush here in the mandi. There is so much crowding and no social distancing. There is no provision of sanitiser or masks by the mandi board."
Deepak Pareek, Joint Police Commissioner, Ludhiana said,"People have to be themselves conscious about following social distancing and other guidelines laid down by the government for their safety. If they do not care about their own safety, how will the government fight this pandemic? We have been interacting with people, and making them understand the importance of masks, social distancing and other protocols. But they need to take care of themselves by abiding by the guidelines."

Punjab on Monday reported 8,625 fresh COVID-19 cases and a record high of 198 deaths, according to the state health bulletin.
As per the district-wise break up of 198 deaths reported by the bulletin on Monday, the maximum deaths were recorded from Ludhiana at 30, followed by Bathinda (19), Sangrur (17), Patiala and SAS Nagar (14 each), Muktsar (13), Ferozepur (11), Ropar and Amritsar (10 each), Hoshiarpur (nine), Pathankot, Fazilka and Jalandhar (eight each), Faridkot (five), Kapurthala, Mansa and Gurdaspur (four each), SBS Nagar and Fatehgarh Sahib (three each), Barnala (two) and Tarn Taran and Moga (one each).
The overall Covid toll in Punjab on Monday reached 10,704, with the case fatality rate (CFR) hovering around the 2.37 per cent mark, higher than the national CFR of 1.09 per cent, as per government data. (ANI)