Crowd at Ukhrul's PNB bank posing risk of Covid-19 spread

 

Crowd at Ukhrul's PNB bank posing risk of Covid-19 spread

By R Lester Makang

Amidst the rampant Covid-19 situation, a crowded scene in front of Punjab National Bank (PNB) branch in Ukhrul town on Wednesday posed a risk of spreading the dreaded virus.

On June 9, banks in the township opened their doors as scheduled by the district administration in its order on May 29. It allows banks to render their services with limited staffs from 10 am to 2:30 pm three days a week -- Monday, Wednesday and Friday till June 11.

However, the scene at PNB branch in Viewland bazaar presented a worrying sight, especially in the current grim scenario of the pandemic.

During a random survey, a crowd of people were seen almost huddled together in front of the bank branch.

In an apparent eagerness to get their transactions done before the bank's closure, the people standing in the queue failed to maintain the mandatory social distance and some did not even wear their masks properly.

As some passersby observed, the crowded scene at the bank could heighten the risk of spreading the virus among the public.

As one of the public members suggested, the crowded situation at the bank could have been more manageable had the bank opened its ATM booth which is located a few metres from the branch.

"In that case, those who have ATM cards could have gone there for withdrawing their money. This could have eased the crowd," he said, expressing helplessness in the face the bank's failure to open the ATM facility.

He said that the ATM facility of the bank has been unreliable as always. "Sometimes it runs out of cash and at other times, it breaks down," he contended.

Meanwhile, Ukhrul DC Joseph Pauline Kamson has asked the denizens of the district to be cautious about the pandemic situation. "The second wave is hitting us hard, we still need to be cautious and not be complacent in order to allow the present situation to improve," he said.

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