Police officer wears coronavirus helmet to urge people to stay inside during India lockdown

Dressed as the deadly virus, he says: 'If you come out, I will come in'

Police officer Rajesh Babu wears a helmet representing the coronavirus, and requests commuters to stay home during the 21-day countrywide lockdown that began Wednesday in Chennai, India (AP)

An Indian police officer is wearing a coronavirus helmet to try and warn people to stay indoors during the lockdown period.

Rajesh Babu, a police inspector from Chennai, India, dons the specially designed coronavirus helmet while on patrol to caution people he thinks aren’t respecting the country’s social distancing orders.

Covered in red spikes with bulbs on the end, the helmet is meant to look like the microscopic image of coronavirus.

Artist B. Gowtham, from Chennai, designed the helmet as he thought people weren’t taking the virus seriously enough as they couldn’t see it — so he decided to create something they wouldn’t be able to ignore.

“We have government orders not to come out — but still, we’re seeing people roaming here and there without proper safety equipment, without masks.”

Read more

• When can we really expect coronavirus to end?
• Everything you need to know on supermarket delivery slots
• The dirty truth about washing your hands
• Which countries around the world has coronavirus spread to?
• Listen to the latest episode of The Independent Coronavirus Podcast

“People are not hygienic enough,” Mr Gowtham told CNN.

Mr Gowtham went to his local police station to try to see how he could try and help the overworked police force and raise public awareness on the matter.

With their support, the artist made the helmet with whatever materials he had at his disposal as shops were shut, and presented the finished product to police inspector Babu who loved the helmet.

The police inspector now dresses as the coronavirus as he patrols cars and motorcycles and says: “If you come out, I will come in”.

He warns those not wearing face masks about the importance of personal protective equipment and tells them to only go outside for essential reasons.

Commuters around Chennai are now agreeing to stay home and have praised the police inspector for informing them about the dangers of the virus.

India is six days into its lockdown which is due to last 21 days and applies to all 1.3 billion citizens.

The restrictions have sent shockwaves around the country as the sudden closure of the train system left thousands of internal migrants with no choice but to walk home.