Published 20:41 IST, June 29th 2020
Mumbaikars miffed with Police's '2-km-radius' travel rule, question logic
Mumbai Police warned residents to act responsibly to reduce the impact of the novel coronavirus in a series of tweet that disappointed the public online.
As India crossed 5 lakh mark of the novel coronavirus cases, cops in Mumbai, the worst impacted city from COVID-19 disease that accounts for nearly 1,64,626 cases, announced a new measure on social media that got the internet baffled. Taking to Twitter, police on June 28 warned Mumbaikars not to drive beyond 2kms from their area of residence, saying they would seize the vehicles of those that violated the norm. Instantly, users poured a slew of criticism against the authorities and the guidelines in the comments section.
The onslaught of mixed reactions followed after Mumbai Police posted a series of new health safety guidelines to stem the transmission of COVID-19 in the state. As a reminder to the public that the battle against coronavirus was ongoing, the police reiterated that it was mandatory to follow the precautionary measures in order to save lives. While the government announced the phased reopening of businesses in the state of Maharashtra, the cops stressed that non-essential movement beyond 2kms was not allowed.
In a tweet, the police wrote that in view of lockdown relaxation for the economy to recover under the state government’s guidelines, the public has been observed meandering aimlessly. Further, the cops urged the Mumbaikars to act responsibly to reduce the impact of the novel coronavirus and urged that the residents must stay within the 2 km of their housing to avoid their cars confiscated by the police. Users pointed out that there has been no official communication from the authorities about the "new rule".
As per the above-mentioned protocol, any vehicle leaving the radius of 2kms from June 28 onwards caught in Mumbai doing non-essential activity would be penalized. Additionally, the Commissioner of Police tweeted that the vehicle would be seized by the police. However, the guidelines exempted people from driving for the purpose of attending work or medical emergencies. The cops tweeted saying that all non-essential movement such as shopping, salons, or visiting any restaurants or food joints were strictly prohibited after June 29. The internet, however, questioned how a person sitting in the closed car “would not infect others” and the police’s statement was “a big letdown.”
Netizens ask "who infects from the closed car?"
“I think now you are in the spot to answer everyone's common query of how a person sitting in a closed car can infect or get infected by COVID. I appreciate what y'all do to curb the virus, but statements like this are a big letdown,” a user reacted. This is how others reacted on the post.
Updated 20:41 IST, June 29th 2020