CHANDIGARH: A city craving for normal life stepped out on Wendesday to savour the relaxations in Covid restrictions — shopping at malls, stretching, jogging and lifting weights at gyms, gorging on burgers and pasta at restaurants and taking walks at Sukhna Lake — but showed little appetite to maintain Covid-appropriate behaviour.
People were seen roaming in groups and violating social distancing norms and shopping in different markets without face masks.
At Sukhna, there was a rush of morning and evening walkers.
A few followed the norms, but many did not — walking without masks and not maintaining distance from each other.
UT adviser Manoj Parida at Sukhna Lake, Chandigarh,on WednesdayAlthough police was issuing challans to violators at different markets and tourist spots, people pulled their masks downs at many places as cops left.
In many markets, shopkeepers asked customers to wear masks while entering their shops.
Visitors at Elante mall, Industrial AreaCharanjiv Singh, president, Chandigarh Beopar Mandal (CBM), said they had taken this decision during a recently held meeting of representatives of different market associations.
At Elante mall in Industrial Area, Phase I, the staff checked temperature at the entrance and ensued social distancing inside too.
Employees at gyms were busy sanitising premises and equipment and preparing time schedule of customers.
In the evening, many fitness enthusiasts hit the gyms.
Fitness enthusiasts at a gym and at Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh on WednesdayAt the same time, the hotel and restaurant owners heaved a sigh of relief as the UT allowed dine-in facility.
On the very first day, there was not much rush in hotels, restaurants and bars.
A bar manager in Sector 26 said they were hoping that in the coming days, especially in weekends, people will come out for dining.
They have already suffered huge financial loss and were hoping to cover some loss in the coming days, he said.