Coronavirus impact in Hyderabad: People are rushing to stock up on groceries, but otherwise it’s business as usual

• Hyderabad residents have been rushing to stock up on groceries and other essential items although the Coronavirus panic has not set in completely yet.
  
• Adequate supply of essentials and screening policies adopted by supermarkets are keeping things under control so far.
  
• Beyond this, it’s mostly business as usual as residents go about their lives and shops remain open.
  
• So far, there are 18 confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Hyderabad.
  

Coronavirus in Hyderabad might have sparked concerns about safety and health, but the thing that most people are worried about right now is groceries. Supermarkets across the city have been witnessing massive demand for food items as people are stocking up as a precautionary measure.

To control the spread of the Coronavirus, the government shuttered down educational institutions, shopping malls and cinema halls till March 31. Many employees have also been asked to work from home.

However, beyond the increase in demand in supermarkets, it has mostly been business as usual. Most shops and establishments in the city are open for business, and employees have been going to work as usual.

Supermarkets are screening all visitors

The DMart chain of supermarkets is quite popular in Hyderabad. We visited several branches across the city to find out if there are any screening measures in place.


We noticed that visitors were being encouraged to use the sanitizer placed at the entrance. All visitors were also subject to temperature checks to ensure no one with a fever is allowed to walk inside.

Items like pulses, rice, wheat, cooking oil and flour are in high demand – it was the most crowded aisle in the supermarket. However, there was hardly any rush for other items, which suggests that people are focusing on the essentials only, for now.

Police steps in the spread awareness

In addition to other awareness campaigns initiated by the government, police also stepped in to spread awareness about coronavirus.

In a video posted earlier in the day, the Rachakonda Traffic Police is seen demonstrating how to wash hands effectively as residents watch on while waiting for the green signal.


Beyond groceries, it’s business as usual

In general, at most people are concerned only about groceries. While some people have started using masks, most of the public seems to be going about their business as usual.

Right from delivery of products to regular retail shops, daily life has not been affected for most people. Sanitizers have become fairly commonplace now in shops as well as homes, so that is one positive to have come out of the coronavirus scare so far.

People are continuing to attend religious and family gatherings, suggesting that Coronavirus is not on top of their minds yet.

Apart from that, there has been a noticeable drop in traffic over the last few days – more so evident on March 19 after eight new cases of coronavirus were reported in Telangana the day before.

It remains to be seen if Hyderabad residents stay true to the stereotype of being laidback, or if safety concerns eventually jolt them out of their slumber.

See also:
Coronavirus outbreak: Government restricts travel, asks people above 65 and children below 10 to stay at home
Tirumala Tirupati temple to close due to the coronavirus outbreak
Coronavirus cases in India state wise: 184 infected, 15 cured and 4 dead