Indian police wear coronavirus-shaped helmets to spread COVID-19 awareness

April 3, 2020April 3, 2020 Kevin

NOAH SEELAM/AFP via Getty Images(HYDERABAD, INDIA) — They say if you can’t beat them, join them, and that seems to be the motto police in India have taken to heart.

The South Asian country, like many around the globe, is doing what it can to help stop the spread of COVID-19. That apparently includes raising awareness by dressing up as the virus itself.

Authorities in cities across India have been sporting spiky helmets resembling what coronavirus looks like under a microscope. Hyderabad City Police shared photos of their officers on motorbikes in complete uniform as they held signs educating the population on how they can remain safe during this dangerous time.

“Avoid social gatherings,” one sign warned, while another urged citizens to “practice social distancing.”

Another photo showed members of the police department with even more tips, but ironically they didn’t seem to be following their own social distancing rules, standing closer than the recommended six feet as they interacted with citizens.

On March 24, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the country would impose a 21-day “total ban” on Indians venturing outside their homes.

As of late Friday afternoon, there were a reported 2,567 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in India, with 72 reported deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.