It was, given the current situation in the country, the only manner in which India could carry on the fight against the novel Coronavirus that is devastating countries across the world. After 21 days of a shutdown, the cases in India are still increasing, but data being released does indicate that had it not been for the people staying home the number of positive COVID-19 patients could have been much higher. In this respect, the lockdown has worked but it has to be made to deliver even more and hence the extension till May 3.
India took some stringent measures in the fight against the Coronavirus. Lockdowns in many other countries have not been as harsh as they are here. But this did help in containing the spread. As the Prime Minister said, “India didn’t wait for the crisis to aggravate. Many developed nations are facing challenges in fighting against the spread… statistics are a proof.” This is one of rare times when India has reacted to a situation rather quickly. It could have done so even earlier, when cases in other countries were already high, and international passengers were arriving in the country without any monitoring, but the fact that the government did step in with measures such as the lockdown have helped.
As the lockdown gets extended, India can look back and take some solace that staying at home did help to a great extent, and that this isolation at home should go on. “The country has benefited from social distancing and lockdown. Yes, we had to pay a price but that’s not more important than saving the lives of Indians,” the Prime Minister said in his address to the nation. The country has indeed benefitted from the lockdown, but the price, especially the economic one, has been high. There are going to be some more tough measures that will be announced in the months ahead as India emerges from this lockdown to prop up the economy that had already been on the downslide.
On the bright side, after April 20 there will be relaxations in States that are showing no new positive cases. Goa, as the situation stands today, could be one of those. South Goa is already in the Green Zone and North Goa could get the same categorisation if there are no new cases reported. There is, however, still no clarity on what the nature of the relaxations. The State will open all government departments on April 20 and some banking services are also available. A limited number of people can be seen emerging from their homes to conduct some necessary errands or to shop for essentials. But Goans have mostly stayed home during the past 24 days as they together decided to fight the virus by doing the only thing possible – social distancing.
Yet, when the relaxations for the areas in the Green Zone are announced next week, it should not lead to Goans letting down their guard. Certain measures will still have to be seriously adhered to. For instance, social distancing is going to remain a part of normal life for a very long time. Eventually, the people may return to the old ways of socialising, but until there is a drug or a vaccine discovered, tested, approved and in the market for COVID-19, restrictions in some form will continue. There can be no negotiation on that. The virus can always return, and there are apprehensions that a second wave of COVID-19 could be harsher. Precautions of various kinds will have to continue.
The expected result from the lockdown should be a flattening of the curve. That India has not seen happening yet. Will there be a discernible change by May 3?
