<p>As their locality reported Covid-19 cases, residents of Jyothi Nagar in Hongasandra are in a state of panic.</p>.<p>The residents have resigned to the sequestering after their slum, with just one exit, has been sealed with police barricade. Though reporters were not allowed inside the barricade, a steady stream of residents were seen approaching the barricade to get out of the sealed zone.</p>.<p>But the Begur station police returning from the quarantined zone said residents were self-isolating at home out of fear. “There is hardly anyone on the streets,” said a police constable. “The place looks empty.”</p>.<p>A middle-aged person, riding a scooter, asked the police to let him out of the barricade to buy a pill at a medical store in Viratnagar two kilometers away. When the police asked him what sort of medication he wanted to buy, the man said he wanted a single paracetamol, which forced the police to turn him back home. The police pointed out to <span class="italic">DH</span> that there was a pharmacy just round the corner.</p>.<p>“We have to deal with such cases all day long. People have been approaching the barricade on different pretexts,” one of the two constables manning the barricade said.</p>.<p>An individual who wanted to get out told the police that he was a pizza delivery boy and his boss wanted him to make a delivery.</p>.<p>Despite such incidents, some residents inside the sealed-off zone expressed happiness over the police closing off their area to prevent coronavirus from spreading. “They have done this for the larger good,” said 41-year-old Anand, who has been residing in the area for nearly 24 years. “I’m fine by the decision.”</p>.<p>Asked if he was afraid that the disease would spread rapidly in the heavily congested area as it did in Padarayanapura, Anand said: “I’m not scared. If we allow fear to enter, that’ll be the end of us.”</p>
<p>As their locality reported Covid-19 cases, residents of Jyothi Nagar in Hongasandra are in a state of panic.</p>.<p>The residents have resigned to the sequestering after their slum, with just one exit, has been sealed with police barricade. Though reporters were not allowed inside the barricade, a steady stream of residents were seen approaching the barricade to get out of the sealed zone.</p>.<p>But the Begur station police returning from the quarantined zone said residents were self-isolating at home out of fear. “There is hardly anyone on the streets,” said a police constable. “The place looks empty.”</p>.<p>A middle-aged person, riding a scooter, asked the police to let him out of the barricade to buy a pill at a medical store in Viratnagar two kilometers away. When the police asked him what sort of medication he wanted to buy, the man said he wanted a single paracetamol, which forced the police to turn him back home. The police pointed out to <span class="italic">DH</span> that there was a pharmacy just round the corner.</p>.<p>“We have to deal with such cases all day long. People have been approaching the barricade on different pretexts,” one of the two constables manning the barricade said.</p>.<p>An individual who wanted to get out told the police that he was a pizza delivery boy and his boss wanted him to make a delivery.</p>.<p>Despite such incidents, some residents inside the sealed-off zone expressed happiness over the police closing off their area to prevent coronavirus from spreading. “They have done this for the larger good,” said 41-year-old Anand, who has been residing in the area for nearly 24 years. “I’m fine by the decision.”</p>.<p>Asked if he was afraid that the disease would spread rapidly in the heavily congested area as it did in Padarayanapura, Anand said: “I’m not scared. If we allow fear to enter, that’ll be the end of us.”</p>
