Daily wage labourers at MGR street in Madurai’s Yagappa Nagar area have come out to protest alleging that they don't have money to buy essential commodities amid the coronavirus lockdown. The street has been declared as a COVID-19 containment zone and sealed.
Commenting on the situation, a daily wage labourer said that they have been stopped from going out of their homes and so, they haven’t been able to buy groceries. He also said that the corporation has provided them with Rs 1,000 each for every rice card holder and free provisions.
The Quint has reached out to the District Collector for a comment, and the story will be updated with the Collector’s response.
Earlier, the Madurai Corporation had earlier announced that they have made arrangements for staff – equipped with safety gear including face masks and gloves – to deliver vegetables and groceries to households, within containment zones in the city.
The first death due to COVID-19, a 54-year-old man, was reported in Madurai on 25 March.
There are four containment zones in Madurai city – Melamadai, Narimedu, P and T Nagar and Mahaboopalayam. All the streets in these zones have been completely barricaded and movement of residents was restricted since Friday.
The list of shops that will deliver products at homes were distributed to residents within each zone. The areas are being disinfected regularly.
The district has recorded 25 cases so far.
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