Though the threat of the third wave of COVID-19 looms large, a section of the public continues to flout COVID-19 norms, prompting the Tiruchi City Corporation to resume inspection and impose fines to ensure adherence to protocol.
It is not that people are unaware about the necessity to wear masks and to follow personal distancing norms for protection from COVID-19 but they have been lulled into a sense of complacency.
The onset of the second wave highlighted not just the unpredictability of the virus, but also the damage COVID-19 variants and negligence can cause. The public seems to have forgotten it quickly, a senior health official said. “It is disheartening to see this. While we continue to harp on about wearing masks, it is the people who have to understand the seriousness,” the official said.
Some say that the weather in the city causes discomfort and therefore they are unable to wear masks. “I am feeling breathless and am not able to wear my mask for a long duration….