Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country to contain the spread of deadly Coronavirus, saying that “social distancing” is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly. “For the next 21 days, forget about stepping out of home,” said the PM in a televised address to the nation. He said it was vital to break the chain of the disease.
The Prime Minister said the lockdown meant a “Lakshman Rekha” in every home and if people crossed it, they would invite the virus. “If we don’t handle these 21 days well, then our country, your family will go backwards by 21 years,” he said.
Soon after Modi decreed the lockdown, people in metropolitan cities were seen making long queues wearing masks to stock up the essentials.
As states shut their borders, long queues of trucks carrying milk, fruits and vegetables snaked down highways, even after PM has assured about the essential services would be maintained countrywide.
There were reports of prices plunging nearly 50% for all essentials as the demand increased all of a sudden, vegetable vendors selling at nearly double the prices which they were selling before PM’s speech on Tuesday evening.
India has reported total number of confirmed Coronavirus cases about 606 including 10 deaths so far, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research. This include 553 active cases while 42 infected people have already been cured or discharged.
The world’s largest shutdown began on Wednesday with concerns about essential supplies and services. “Forget about stepping out of your homes for the next 21 days,” PM Modi said in the address to the nation. Health experts have warned of an explosion of infections if harsh steps are not taken.
In India, the Maharashtra state government is facing one of its worst ever public health crisis in recent history in the form of the Coronavirus pandemic. The state has reported total 122 positive cases of COVID-19 including 4 deaths so far.
India’s 1.3 billion individuals went under “total lockdown” from Tuesday midnight. The Centre and state governments have taken measures to ensure that the supply of all essential items continue smoothly but there is panic in public and they all have over crowded in grocery shops. Some of the areas in Mumbai are as usual as they were before Coronavirus threat. Hundreds were walking in lines of five or six. Young, in their twenties and early thirties, a few had women and children. Most carried haversacks while others dragged cheap, non-branded trolleys or just inexpensive sling bags. Tired, they were sweating profusely as the crowds were increasing. Bank ATM, medical shops and milk shops had queue like demonetization days. They walked by choking passing traffic. These people were part of the great Indian exodus. They had certainly missed the proverbial last bus and now had nothing but legs or a willing and permitted empty truck to take them home, however distant and remote in Uttar Pradesh or Uttarakhand. As Modi shared his concern for the 1.3 billion or more Indians, a gnawing worry caught up: did the thought of these people, epitome of those destined to suffer the longest from the disease, collapse of personal economies or disruption of children’s education, cross the prime minister’s mind while drawing up the plan to announce a complete nationwide lockdown?
Or, has it been rationally worked out by the powers that in this grave battle –undoubtedly, the most monstrous challenge post-independence – there would be collateral damage? The prime minister’s address to the nation has either been preceded or followed on all the three crucial occasions by panic. This was the second occasion that his ‘Aaj Raat Bara Baje Se’ (from midnight tonight) phrase sent chills down people’s spine. He was hardly halfway through his speech that families were dispatching members for last minute stocking of whatever they could lay hands on. With these words, for the first time in its history, Prime Minister Narendra Modi put the entire nation under a strict three-week curfew. Every state, every Union Territory, every district, every village and every locality is being put under lockdown. He announced in his second address to the nation since the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic that has claimed more than 17,000 lives around the world so far. Modi stated quite explicitly how seriously the country ought to observe this curfew and what would be the cost of acting otherwise. “Step outside the ‘Lakshman Rekha’ of your house in the next 21-days and you will set the country back by 21-years,” he said, adding that repeated studies and recent data by experts have proved social distancing is the only answer to breaking the cycle of the infection.
The lockdown will be like a “curfew” only but more stringent than the ‘Janta Curfew’, which the country had observed on 22 March, he said, adding it will have an economic cost but saving people’s lives is of the paramount interest to his government. At this time of crisis, Modi said the only focus for both the central and all state governments should be to improve healthcare facilities. He announced a special Rs 15,000 crore package to equip healthcare workers with the necessary protection, to train healthcare workers and paramedics, and to procure necessary medical facilities for ICU beds. Modi expressed happiness with the manner in which the private sector, including hospitals and laboratories, were “coming forward to work with the government in these challenging times. Assuring citizens that the supply of essential goods will not discontinue or be affected, Modi said the government is taking all steps to ensure a continuous supply. Acknowledging that the poorer sections of the society were suffering the most during the ongoing crisis, Modi expressed pleasure at the manner in which the central and some state governments have united with civil society to help them.
There will be social and economic consequences and the PM did not equivocate on the challenges. He spoke of the vulnerable sections, and as in last week’s speech, emphasised the imperative to be compassionate. He lauded the frontline workers, doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers, expressed gratitude to Safai Karamcharis and praised the private sector and civil society. A reworked social compact — more compassionate — will be necessary to confront the challenges posed by the lockdown. It is now up to civil society, government agencies, the healthcare and corporate sectors to take their cues from the PM’s speech and ensure that the burden of fighting the pandemic does not fall too heavily on those at the margins, the migrant and daily wage labourers, the rickshaw pullers and others for whom these 21 days could prove to be the toughest. The Centre and state governments will need to work together, setting aside their political differences, to ensure that there is no shortage of essential commodities and the supply chains are not broken. Well! People are forced to follow PM’s instructions buy one need to understand that this is total incompetence and inept handling. “A stitch in time saves nine or, the classic case of “Locking the stable when the horses have bolted.” A proper quarantine system and process, 100 per cent full proof, in the handful international airports (inside airports) was what needed by the middle of February itself.
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Acting to curb hoarding of essential items amid rising COVID-19 cases in Mumbai, police raided a godown in the city and seized four lakh masks, valued at Rs 1 crore, an official said on Wednesday.
The raid was conducted at the Shah Warehousing and Transport Godown in suburban Mumbai, the official said.
The Vile Parle Police received information on Tuesday night that a large quantity of face masks was stored in the warehouse. Police reached the spot and found 200 boxes of face masks valued at around Rs one crore, the official said.
Police registered a FIR against five people including owner of the godown, agent and supplier at the Sahar police station but no arrest have been made, the official said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Manjunath Singhe said legal action is being taken against the five. Hoarding of essential items like face masks and sanitizers is an offence, he added.
On Monday evening, the Mumbai crime branch Unit 9 had seized 25 lakh high-quality masks worth Rs 15 crore.
Today, all of you must have seen the photographs on television and in the dailies, in which passengers in Patna and Kolkata were eager to go to their villages by chilling in buses and even adjusting them on bus roofs, quite unconcerned about the fatality that could be caused due to their such attitude. Even as someone giving warning, one imprudent passenger lashes out shamelessly, saying, “kya karen, majboori ka naam mahatma gandhi hai.”
The fact, however, is that by describing his so called “majboori”, he is not only putting his entire village in danger, but also the entire population. It can only be said that if they are going to their villages with this deadly disease, then only God can save them. In this regard, Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan has also admitted that till now there are about 1,84,000 people infected with the Karona epidemic, which are under the surveillance of the government. However, this is the figure, the minister said, that is in government’s knowledge. So, what about the rest which is still beyond its knowledge? Who will guess and how will they be monitored? It can be ten times, as much as eighteen lakhs, or even double.
The gravity of the situation is if the poor labourers and temporary workers, who flee from Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru or Gujarat in panic to Purvanchal and reached their villages with infection, what is the facility available for the treatment of this epidemic in the villages is well known.
When cities like Delhi are running under severe shortage of ventilators, to think of adequate treatment for Corona like diseases in the remote villages of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Orissa or far off places would be nothing short of a hallucination. Today, an ambulance worker’s statement on a channel was an eye opener in which he was saying that all the 85 ambulances in Lucknow are entrusted with the work of transporting patients and dead bodies. The irony of the situation is that barely the staff of five of these ambulances is fully equipped with gloves, mask and PPE (Personal Protective Equipments). In such a situation, the plight of the villages can well be ascertained.
In one research, it is being said that an infected person can usually infect 2.6 or about two and a half other people. But this research cannot be hold good for India. This may, however, carry some value for Italy and Spain where the population is very less, facilities are more and where people meet each other only when they are in need and maintain social distancing. On the contrary, our country has a population of 130 crores, which is many times more than China in terms of area. Although the population of China is more than that of India, i.e., 143 crores, but, according to the area, in China only 143 people live per square kilometer, whereas, in India, 455 people live per kilometer. The figure in the US is only 35 persons per square kilometer, Spain 91, Iran 49 and France 122 persons.
What will happen if this pandemic reaches the third degree i.e., community level in our country? Let us guess from this that 3277 deaths occurred in China, 593 in America, 2311 in Spain, 1812 in Iran, and 860 in France. In such a situation, an infected person will infect several hundred people here. Today a national daily has published that a doctor who came to India from London, has infected 300 people. In foreign countries, usually no one goes to the airport to see off anyone or to receive. But, here in India, if a relative is returning from abroad, the whole village reaches to receive him. Secondly, he would touch the feet of every elderly man of the village, hug the youth and kiss kids. If an infected person does this, then the broad impact of infectiousness can be gauged. Now think of a situation where thousands of infected people reach villages. In such circumstances, how can we stop this epidemic from spreading?
Today’s latest update is that more than 16 thousand people have died across the world so far, in which 462 people died in a beautiful country like Spain alone in just one day. In Spain there is no flat system to live in. Most of the people like to live in bungalows surrounded by gardens and despite that such a terrible situation of epidemic! Italy, which is claimed to be the second-best medical system in the world, has also failed to combat the epidemic today. When such rich countries are confronted with such a miserable situation of epidemic, the position will be harder to imagine if this epidemic spreads in the villages in India.
Therefore, wherever curfews have been imposed in the entire country, it should be strictly followed and people who insist on going to their villages may be allowed to go, but, my advice would be that before sending them to the village they must be kept in any district hospital for 14 days of Isolation. Only after that they should be allowed to go to their village. Going to the village without isolation would be dangerous. If an infected person reaches the village due to any mistake or negligence, he will infect the entire village and when the whole village becomes infected, then how shall we be able to arrange for their treatment? We would then be advancing towards the plague situation that struck 120 years ago.
Corona infection is mainly a lung disease and it causes the most damage to the lungs. When the corona virus reaches the lungs, breathing problems and suffocation result in a person’s life. Those having habits of regularly consuming alcohol, chewing tobacco or smoking, their lungs are already weak and prone to such attacks. Position being such, if the infection reaches the villages, the situation will be frightening, because there are no adequate medical facilities to deal with such a terrible epidemic in the villages.
Just yesterday 5 infected patients were admitted to Jabalpur Medical College, but there was no tissue paper, no dustbin, no face mask, no sanitizer or hand gloves there. So, when the medical college of the country has this situation, imagine the situation of the villages. In such a situation, a general appeal is to stop taking the infected person to the villages. If at all this infection goes to the villages, then the situation will be the dire one and the number of infected people will reach millions and the deaths caused therefrom would be difficult to assess.
One death that occurred at Patna is that of a young man who returned from Qatar in Central Asia, and who was only 38 years old. This incident has also proved wrong the illusion that only people above 60 years of age are prone to corona infection. The young man was from a village in Munger district and was returning to his village from Qatar. He was either already infected or must have been infected on the way. Immediately he was admitted to Indira Gandhi Hospital in Patna, where he died during treatment. He could not carry the infection to his village.
But, on the way from Qatar to Delhi and then from Delhi to Patna, there is no idea and record of how many people he must have touched. Infection spreads in this very manner. So, it has to be kept in mind that any person going from Delhi to Patna or Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Bhuvneshwar, Ranchi, Kolkata or Guwahati, should not be allowed to go directly to his village. If no person without isolation (segregation) enters the village, only then the problem will be solved, otherwise not.
Now let us also talk about the foolish insolents. This morning a similar insolent reached the same hospital in Patna, where a young man infected with Carona had died yesterday. He had reached with a patient. The strictness was obvious after yesterday’s incident. Calling himself a BJP spokesperson and close to Home Minister and CM, Bihar, he threatened and abused everyone in the line. When the security personnel stationed there did not give him any weightage, he created a scene. Somehow the matter was calm. We have to be cautious Even from such insolent maniacs.
Now talk about the plague epidemic. It caused terrible havoc in our country one hundred and twenty years ago. During the year 1898-99 there was a terrible plague that spread across the country especially in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Bengal, Orissa. Swami Vivekananda used to carry corpses and cremate them throughout the day with his disciples. Then he used to prepare khichdi of whatever he would get in alms, and eat once during night. Vivekanand had first prepared a “manifesto” of the plague of what to do and what not to do. This “manifesto” was first made in Bengali and then translated into Hindi and English. It included a code of conduct for the patients of plague and their attendants.
The similar code of conduct is required today, which needs to be followed strictly. It will be Modi’s code of conduct. This epidemic is more dangerous than the plague epidemic, because it is spreading not just by touching but also by coughing, spitting, blowing off from the nose. Therefore, the only means to fight it is – vigilance, moderation and widespread awareness and strict adherence to rules.
(Writer is Senior Editor and Columnist)
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of AFTERNOON VOICE and AFTERNOON VOICE does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
As the Coronavirus pandemic escalates, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed the nationwide lockdown resembling to the curfew and asked the propel stay at homes for 21 days. Most of the local governments have already declared an emergency and shut down schools, shops, and all public gatherings as well as imposed severe international and domestic travel restrictions. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) tens of millions of people are already quarantined, with more joining them soon, in Europe – now the epicenter. Although India is not in that much critical condition but as the experts across the world are predicting, it can face serious challenges in order to cope with this deadly disease.
Since India is looking over every measure to curb from Coronavirus and shutting everything down. The logic of these measures is simple that if people limit their interaction, they can reduce the rate at which the virus is transmitted. This is the reason social distancing measures are widely accepted as good step even though they are horrible for the people particularly in a country wherein people are strongly connected with each other.
Despite the lockdown is only solution to fight against Coronavirus, it has some negative, unintended and drastic consequences over the life of common men who are living at higher risk for their survival amid this lockdown. Think of people in gig economy. Delivery drivers, taxi drivers, daily wagers, masons, and millions of people who entirely depend on their daily wages have no income security, no sick pay and often very limited saving. What happens to them if a lockdown prevents them from working for a month or longer?
India cannot be compared to other countries of the world such as China, USA and Italy where social distancing or lockdown did not affect people’s butter and dread to that mush extent as here – India so it can result into devastating consequences for the nation. These countries are much stronger than India in their economy and have much capacity to deal with financial crisis and have very adequate health infrastructure as well.
With no doubt, the government has no other option but ultimately, as this crisis unfolds, what people are going to experience may be beyond their worst nightmares, with deaths of loved ones and an economic collapse that could dwarf the great depression. One of the primary tasks of the government in this crisis must be to ensure that people have enough money in their pockets to buy their essentials not just to make them available in the markets. This is where introducing a basic income becomes an option. Since it represents a simple, humane and administratively uncomplicated way of ensuring that everybody has enough money to get by during the crisis, why would anyone be against it?
The announcement of the Prime Minister Modi for 21-day nationwide lockdown may be a disaster for a huge number of people but it is the only remedy for a bigger calamity for the India nation. So, the people should cooperate and give a helping hand to each other in this difficult time as much as possible. India has set many examples of unity in the history for a common cause. This is the time to get united and be responsible citizen to protect not only oneself but the entire nation.
Who plays a crucial role in such scenario is police who take risk for the nation thus the people must assist them in abiding by the law and order. Police also should treat people humbly, understand their problems and trials during this lockdown.
– Mohd Faheem
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
The large oval table was gone and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ministerial colleagues sat in chairs kept at a distance from each other as they practised “social distancing” to combat coronavirus during a Cabinet meeting here on Wednesday.
Pictures showed that the ministers were facing the prime minister and small side tables were provided next to their chairs to allow them to keep their documents.
Usually, the Cabinet members sit around an oval table during meeting.
The Cabinet meeting was held at the prime minister’s official residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg here.
The prime minister has been pitching for “social distancing” to check the spread of coronavirus.
He has announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown to combat the deadly virus.
Amid the nationwide lockdown to check the spread of Coronavirus, Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena Supremo Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday appealed to people not to venture out of their homes and assured that the state has adequate stock of essential commodities.
Greeting people on the occasion of Gudi Padwa, Thackeray said the poor and daily wagers should understand that the government stands firmly behind them in this time of crisis.
मी आपल्याला सर्वांना गुढीपाडव्याच्या शुभेच्छा देतो. गुढीपाडव्याच्या शुभेच्छा देत असताना केवळ या वर्षाच्या नव्हे तर आपलं संपूर्ण आयुष्य सुख, समृध्दी, शांती आणि निरोगी दीर्घायुष्य लाभो अशी ईश्वरचरणी प्रार्थना करतो. pic.twitter.com/9cvEUr0aUu
Uddhav said, “There is enough stock of essential commodities and the essential services will continue to function.”
घराबाहेर पडू नका ही तर माझी सूचना आहेच याच कारण असं की या संकटाची तुलना मी सुरवातीलाच जागतिक युद्धाशी केलेली आहे. युद्ध हे युद्ध असते आणि युद्धामध्ये आपला शत्रू नकळत आपल्यावर वार करत असतो. pic.twitter.com/F37JrodHHC
The Chief Minister also said that corporates were coming forward to set up hospitals and manufacture masks.
“I appeal to employers not to cut wages of their workers or stop their services. Don’t flock the markets. To purchase essential commodities, go to market alone and maintain distance (with one another),” stated Uddhav.
Four more new positive cases of Coronavirus have been reported since Tuesday midnight. With this Maharashtra tally 116 positive cases of the virus including three deaths so far.
Inspired by photos outside a mall in China where the management drew circles on the floor to maintain social distancing to curb coronavirus spread, people in parts of Maharashtra have started implementing the same.
The idea is proving a healthy option for people who come out of their homes to purchase groceries and vegetables.
Some towns such as Panhala, Ajara and a village called Pulachi Shiroli in Kolhapur district have started implementing the social distancing idea since Tuesday evening.
Ranjit Chougule, a resident of Pulachi Shiroli village near Kolhapur city said, When I saw the photos of the China all, I was at first amused and thought those people were being crazy. After some time, I realised that it is a useful idea as social distancing will be maintained as well as people will get groceries and other essential services.
“I discussed it with friends and showed it to local shop owners, who after some deliberations decided to go for it. We used white colour to mark circles and/or squares on the road at a distance of over three feet between each marking. People were asked to stand as per the markings and soon they were also comfortable with it, he said.
Image Courtesy: Twitter
A local police official confirmed the development. We were not sure how people would react to it, but it seems the idea is working. Now people don’t panic while buying vegetables and groceries and it has reduced our burden as well, the official said.
An official from the Maharashtra Chief Minister’s Office on Wednesday said the government has started pushing the concept across the state by sharing photos of such social distancing practices across the state.
“We have so far received photographs from Kolhapur, Nanded and from Talegaon Dabhade town near Pune where people have drawn circles or squares on the street in vegetable markets as well as outside the grocery shops.
“People are following the guidelines by standing in a queue and are also maintaining the required distance, the official said.
With 112 confirmed cases so far, Maharashtra tops the COVID-19 patients tally in the country.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said e-passes will be issued to those associated with essential services, such as vegetable-vendors, grocers and milk-sellers, to ensure smooth supply of items of daily use in the national capital during the lockdown.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a nationwide lockdown of 21 days to check the spread of coronavirus.
In a joint press conference with Lt Governor Anil Baijal on Wednesday, Kejriwal said a helpline number would be issued for the e-passes.
He appealed to people to avoid panic-buying, assuring that the government would ensure that shops of daily use items like milk, vegetables, groceries and medicines remained open. The chief minister asserted that there was no scarcity of these essentials.
He urged people to stay at home during the lockdown period.
Baijal said the government would ensure strict implementation of the lockdown in Delhi.
The chief minister said the Delhi Police commissioner’s office could be contacted on helpline number 011-23469536 in case of any problems.
Migrant workers and their families board an overcrowded passenger train, after government imposed restrictions on public gatherings in attempts to prevent spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Mumbai, India, March 21, 2020. REUTERS/Prashant Waydande
Many maids working in Mumbai have returned to their native places in Konkan and Khandesh regions. These maids moved to Mumbai to earn a living because most of them are from distressed farming background. COVID-19 forced them to abandon work and leave the city. They have either vacated their rooms or have kept them locked. Their departure has led to a crisis with housing societies with many families finding it hard to get replacements. Most of the residents have to do without maids. Many of them have left despite having their family being here; they were living with children and husband who works on daily wages. The indefinite lockdown has crippled their finances too. The migrant labourers who work as construction workers, carpenters, tailors, vegetable vendors have also left Mumbai.
This working population also has people from UP, Bihar and Odisha and Bengal.
Drivers of auto rickshaws, taxis and app-based cab aggregators Ola and Uber are leaving the city in thousands. The step-by-step lockdown of the city since the first positive cases of COVID-19 emerged, has hit such drivers the worst.
Most drivers’ hail from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and their earnings this month have plummeted. On an average, they barely make Rs 200 per day.
AL Quadros, leader of Mumbai Taximen’s Union said, “Most of the drivers have mortgaged their cars for cash to survive in their hometowns. We appeal to the Chief Minister to direct banks to exempt them from making EMI payments this month. Most of them pay EMIs up to ₹10,000 on car loans. Many drivers left by road while some drove their cars home.” there has been an exodus of nearly 80 per cent of Kaali-Peeli drivers. “Over the past week, there has been hardly any business. Those who drove around 70 to 80 km are barely clocking 20 km a day. Many have left their cars along roadsides as parking lots have filled up. We have appealed to the traffic police to not penalise them in such difficult times,” he said.
Leader of Mumbai Rickshawmen’s Union, Thampi Kurien said, “Drivers have decided to return after a month when the situation stabilises. There were practically no autorickshaws on the roads today. Around 70 per cent of the 2.2-lakh drivers have left the city during this week”
The Transport Commissioner on Saturday also directed all share autorickshaws and taxis across the State to suspend services.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country to contain the spread of deadly Coronavirus, saying that “social distancing” is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly. “For the next 21 days, forget about stepping out of home,” said the PM in a televised address to the nation. He said it was vital to break the chain of the disease.
