Chennai, Mar 24 () Tamil Nadu came under a lockdownon Tuesday evening with public spaces going empty even aslocal authorities began pasting 'home quarantined' stickers onthe doors of houses of foreign returnees in the State.
Hours before the lockdown became effective at 6 pm,people rushed to market places to buy essential commoditiesthough the government had made it clear that retail outletsdealing with essentials like groceries, hospitals and petrolstations will function.
Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code andEpidemic Diseases Act, 1897 were invoked by the government toimpose curbs.
A day after announcing that as many as 3,000 homesare under quarantine watch for cornavirus in greater ChennaiCorporation limits and such houses will be stamped withstickers to ensure social distancing, the city civic bodybegan the exercise today.
Stickers announcing that "COVID-19/Do not Visit/Homeunder quarantine," with details like name and number of peopleunder watch were pasted on the doors of houses of returneesfrom foreign countries.
A slogan "Home quarantined. Proud to protect mycommunity," was also found on the stamp.
Also, home quarantine stamps were stuck on the armsof those under watch by authorities.
Similar stamping exercise was kickstarted by localbodies in districts including Thanjavur today.
On the stamping exercise, the authorities said thiswas a "time of emergency and it has to be taken in the rightspirit," in an apparent appeal to people to cooperate.
While major market places wore a deserted look, roadsand highways across Tamil Nadu became almost empty with onlyvehicles that started plying ahead of the 6 PM deadlineallowed to passby by police after verification.
Natives of other towns and districts who are workingin Chennai, began leaving the city in hordes since yesterdaywhen the government announced lockdown and since only buseswere available the vehicles got overcrowded.
People continued to throng the bus terminals to reachtheir destinations on time today as well.
Bus services were trimmed down by noon and completelyhalted well ahead of the shutdown deadline.
As the lockdown time neared, crowds began swellingunmanageably at several State-run (TASMAC-Tamil Nadu StateMarketing Corporation) liqour outlets, and police personnel onpatrol vehicles had to wield batons to shoo away people.
As part of lockdown measures, district borders weresealed by police and they placed barricades to preventmovement of vehicles.
Only trucks carrying essential commodities andhealthcare personnel were allowed. VGNBN BN