EXTRA: Indian police put lockdown violators in ambulance with fake COVID-19 patient - TheCable Lifestyle

A video showing police officers in Tamil Nadu, a South Indian state, putting violators of government’s lockdown directive into an ambulance with a fake COVID-19 patient, has surfaced online and gone viral. The outbreak of the novel disease has prompted the authorities in the Asian country to introduce several measures aimed at combating further spread of the novel disease, including the sit-at-home and wearing of face masks in public place directives. But most of the directives had been greeted with partial compliance with many violators still roaming the streets, despite the existence of a lockdown. In the less than three minutes video, police officers can be seen stopping about five men on two scooters at a checkpoint. The young men appeared not to be wearing face masks — something that has been made mandatory in public places in view of coronavirus pandemic. The officers ordered the young men to sit inside an ambulance which has a fake COVID-19 patient in it. The residents were seen resisting the directives while also forcing their way out of the vehicle. Although, it is merely a skit, as of now, the move is aimed to instill fear into residents and enhance the level of compliance among people as the country continues to trawl several initiatives to tackle spread of the virus. Copyright 2020 TheCable. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from TheCable.