Overcrowding in malls despite second wave in Kakinada

KAKINADA: Even as the second wave of Covid19 is playing havoc with the lives of people and taking a heavy toll, people in general seem to be taking things easy. Shopping malls are crowded even as governmental regulations on pandemic control have continued.

While the fear of a third wave existed, women, children and others are unmindful of this and are present in large numbers in shopping areas. This, though officials are on a massive campaign urging people to maintain social distance, remain at home, and wear masks properly.

Crowding is heavy at malls, garment shops and other public places due to the marriage season and for other seasonal programmes. Women are bringing along with them their children without face masks.

Sundays bring out larger crowds. The main road at Rajamahendravaram and the main markets at Kakinada and meat shops all see people crowding around.

The municipal commissioners gave clear instructions to meat shops to not open their stall and avoid sales on Sunday, but this was not followed.

Long queues were seen at shopping malls near Godarigunta and the municipal corporation office at Kakinada and Bommuru-Vemagiri Road and near Godavari bund at Rajamahendravaram on Sunday.

The father of one-year-old child P Venkata Narayana Rao arriving at a shopping mall in Kakinada with his kid said they came for shopping from Yanam. He stood in the long queue with his child while his wife sat under the shade of a tree with another kid. He said they had to do purchases of some essential commodities, this being a holiday.

A woman who brought her two-year-old kid said she had taken all precautionary steps to keep the virus away. Shopping mall employees said they were sending the customers into the mall in small batches so as to avoid crowding.