A popular textile showroom in the shopping hub of T Nagar in Chennai was sealed on Tuesday by the city's civic body for overcrowding and alleged disregard of COVID-19 protocols.
The action against Kumaran Silks in the heart of the city came after a video purportedly showing a huge crowd in the shop went viral, with many on social media platforms expressing concern over it.
The Greater Chennai Corporation urged shop owners and the public to "strictly" follow safety protocols.
"A shop in Tnagar has been #locked and #sealed today, since they allowed overcrowding & didn't follow the COVID-19 safety protocols," GCC said in a tweet.
"Other such shops, which don't follow the protocols shall be sealed too. Shop owners & public are requested to strictly follow safety protocols. #GCC," it added.
Thyagaraya Nagar, more popularly known as T Nagar, has been teeming with shoppers for the past few days ahead of the festive season.
While allowing non-essential shops to reopen, the government has laid down various guidelines, including regulating entry of people to prevent overcrowding, use of sanitisers and wearing of masks and maintaining social
distancing, as preventive measures against COVID-19.
In recent weeks, the number of new COVID-19 cases had been on the decline in the city, which once was a hotspot, but officials have cautioned against any laxity. The city has so far accounted for over 1.90 lakh positive cases out of the 6.90 lakh plus infections in the state.
