Bhubaneswar: Many people and commercial establishments lowered guard in Twin Cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar ahead of the lockdown restrictions that will be in effect from May 5.
Thousands crowded grocery stores, vegetable shops and petrol pumps to stock up, many ignoring safety norms. Anxiety over access to essential goods, particularly among people who do not store articles for long periods, triggered panic buying.
Such chaotic events are an invitation to disaster, since the highly contagious, and by many accounts dangerous virus infects people immediately, if they are in close proximity.
Although its fallout will be known only in the days to come, the crowding episode could pass off as an aberration if the focus returns to raising administrative efficiency.
Due to surge in Covid-19 cases in Odisha, the State Government has decided to impose a lockdown from May 5 to May 19.
