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Policeman In India Wears ‘Coronavirus Helmet’ To Scare People Into Staying Home
Apr 01, 2020
Main image via Twitter
Many countries around the world are currently going under lockdown to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
In India, one police officer has taken things to the next level with his creative helmet that aims to scare people into staying home.
via GIPHY
It seems like many people in India are finding it hard to be responsible and stay home during this ongoing pandemic.
Rajesh Babu, a police inspector in the southern city of Chennai, decided to do something about this situation and he decided that the best method would be to scare people from leaving their homes.
To do so, the inspector wears a special helmet that has been constructed to look like a microscopic image of the coronavirus.
The helmet is covered in red spikes with bulbs on the ends and the police inspector wears it while stopping vehicles and pedestrians at checkpoints.
The special “coronavirus helmet” was created by local artist B. Gowtham, who came up with the idea for it after noticing a lack of public awareness about the virus and its preventative measures.
“People are not hygienic enough,” Gowtham said. “We have governemtn orders not to come out – but still, we’re seeing people roaming here and there without proper safety equipment, without masks.”
The artist figured that the public was not taking the virus seriously because “it seemed invisible”. So he decided to make it visible and thus created a virus that they could actually see coming towards them.
“People will be frightened,” he noted.
Before creating the helmet, Gowtham took his idea down to the nearest police station.
“They’ve been working continuously, so I wanted to reduce their workload and make people more aware,” he said. Gowtham then got to work after getting the police’s support.
Since every store was shut because of the lockdown, the artist improvised by using newspapers and tissue paper to create the spikes on the helmet. He then gave it to police inspector Babu, who loved the idea of it.
The police inspector stops people in cars or on motorcycles, especially if he sees them without a face mask; and warns them about the necessity of social distancing and protective personal equipment. He also urges them to not leave their houses unless it’s for essential reasons.
“If you come out, I will come in,” he tells those he comes across.
According to the police inspector, the helmet has been well received and a number of commuters have even thanked him for the information and agreed to stay home.
We must applaud the artist and the police inspector for their creative way in getting people to stay home!
Be sure to play your part by staying safe and staying home too!
Do you think the coronavirus helmet is a clever idea? Let us know!
Stay updated with the latest COVID-19 news here: https://en.syok.my/covid-19
Info via CNN