Total lockdown: Less people found loitering around in Kohima

Our Correspondent
Kohima, May 28 (EMN): With most of the colonies in and around Kohima implementing total lockdown measures in their respective wards in view of continuous surge in Covid-19 positive cases, officials said that there have been lesser cases of people loitering around or breaking the laid down norms.

Talisunep Imchen, PRO of Kohima, told Eastern Mirror that there has been lesser movement of people as they adhere to the decision taken by the colonies.

“The response is quite encouraging as less people are moving around,” he said. 

He informed that about 20 persons were penalised till 4:30 pm on Friday, adding that the total number of defaulters in Kohima was around 1,350, which includes those caught by the police during the containment period and since the start of state-wide lockdown imposed by the government.

However, the police personnel manning the streets said that no defaulters have been caught in the main town so far.

It’s worth mentioning that the Association of Kohima Municipal Wards Panchayat (AKMWP) officials watch over the localities by dividing them into two groups and they visit all the 19 municipal wards to oversee the lockdown situation.

Speaking to this newspaper, Thejao Sekhose, acting president of AKMWP, said that they were impressed as residents in various localities came up with more stern rules by declaring complete lockdown in their localities since people continued to break the guidelines, especially when grocery stores and shops selling essential commodities were allowed to open on alternate days, which turned out to be potential window for transmitting the virus.

‘The wards are keeping themselves isolated as the surge of Covid-19 cases continues and the number of infections is not coming down as per the daily reports of the government,’ he said, adding that ‘People themselves are becoming more curious and more cautious as they are trying to keep themselves more isolated now.’

He said that people have stopped loitering around while shops and groceries selling essential commodities remained closed except two or three that were allowed to open to meet urgent requirements.

Sekhose shared that they found out during their visit to their constituent wards that colony leaders and youths manning their respective wards were “really striving hard to keep the SOP and everything intact”.

“Most of the wards are undergoing complete lockdown and making announcements that there won’t be any movement and that they won’t be entertaining people coming from other wards,” he informed, adding that people were also not allowed to enter their own wards after entering other wards.

Meanwhile, Sekhose said that there have been reports of increasing number of trucks carrying construction materials during the lockdown period.

He also informed that volunteers have requested AKMWP to approach the government authority to facilitate vaccination as they come into contact with people including strangers while carrying out their duty during the lockdown.

“I think it is very genuine when they ask like that because they are in constant contact with different kinds of people,” he said.

Sekhose further acknowledged the law enforcing agencies, district administration, medical workers as well as those in the grassroots level like colony elders, leaders and youth volunteers for their co-operation and services.