Koyambedu market complex is one of the busiest commercial areas in Chennai as people from across the city would throng to market to procure the vegetables and essentials. The market would be accounting for major footfalls in its premises that had now made the complex unexceptional from the Coronavirus pandemic as two traders of the market tested positive for the virus, leaving the authorities to impose restrictions.

The restrictions would be turning the busy market deserted as the government has, on Tuesday, ordered to shut down the retail markets in the complex with the view of lowering the footfalls. According to the reports, the wholesale vegetable market would only be functioning at the Koyambedu complex from Wednesday. 

The decision of closing the retails markets was taken during the second round of meetings held between government officials and representatives of various trade unions on Tuesday. The wholesale traders said that the meeting has decided to let the trade of the wholesale market open while closing the retail stores.

The reports stated that the retail vegetable trade would be given market space in nearby areas like Aminjikarai as the replacement for the retail traders and as per the new directive, about 500 wholesale shops would be functioning at Koyambedu complex till 10 am every day until the lockdown ends as the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority hopes that this directive would decrease the crowd by 50%.

On Tuesday, the Greater Chennai Corporation has deployed a mobile testing unit to the Koyambedu market complex and started collecting the samples from traders after two traders had tested positive for the virus and the officials have started tracing the contact in the market. 

Adding to the closure of the retail vegetable stores, the officials had directed to shut down the fruits and flower shops and these retail commercial activities have been shifted to Madhavaram as the Koyambedu market has completely closed the doors for retail trades. 

The reports stated that the corporation has been planning to install the retail markets in wider space like bus stands and playgrounds and the corporation would provide a space for the retail trades after the final decision from the government, which would likely to be taken on Tuesday evening, to ease the business of retail traders and to avoid the shortage in the supply of retail commodities to the residents of the city.