Numbers exaggerated: Koyambedu traders play down reports

“All traders and workers in the 200 wholesale shops that started functioning in Koyambedu market are being tested every fortnight for the COVID-19. Now those who are coming from outside have tested positive over a period of two weeks,” said GD Rakasekaran, president of the Federation of All Associations of Koyambedu Wholesale Market Committee.

Following media reports, he collected details of the persons tested positive from the corporation officials. “In Chennai, about 1,000 people are testing positive every day. It means, in the last two weeks, more than 14,000 people tested positive. Of them, 50 are from Koyambedu market. The numbers should not be blown out of proportion,” he urged.

Rajasekaran noted that only 200 wholesale vendors who were functioning in the Thirumazhisai makeshift market were allowed to open shops in Koyambedu market. “Of the 4,500 shops in the market, only 200 are functioning, affecting the livelihood of about 50,000 traders and workers. We have been urging the government allow small wholesale shops, fruits and flower market to be opened in a phased manner. But the news of fresh cases will only lead to panic and result in the delay of opening shops,” he said, adding that they have fixed 75 CCTV cameras and monitoring it 24x7 to ensure that all traders and workers are maintaining social distancing and wearing masks.