E-Paper
Entering week five of the national lockdown
The balance between health and economic goals will decide the trajectory after May 3
The national lockdown has entered its fifth week from today. It is also the second day of selective relaxations in districts and zones that have seen either limited or no cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). With the lockdown, India is seeking to preserve public health and slow down the rate of the spread of the virus. With the partial relaxations, it is seeking to revive economic activities.
But this picture obscures the variations within states. Health is a state subject, which requires state governments to be open to evolving responses based on the disease burden (which varies from state to state), best practices (the efficacy of social distancing and lockdowns), and successful models (such Rajasthan’s Bhilwara model or Kerala’s Kasaragod model). Some states have rightly decided to exercise more caution than others. Despite the economic toll of the lockdown, Delhi, Karnataka, Punjab and Telangana, for instance, are not easing restrictions for now, with Telangana even extending its lockdown till May 7.
India stands at a crossroads, with both the Centre and the states on test. The next fortnight will determine if India can flatten the curve of infections enough for the partial relaxations to expand both in scope and geography — or there is a somewhat unmanageable rise in cases, which leads to a continued stalling of economic activities. There is now a consensus on health protocols, from testing to isolation, provision of protective gear for health care workers to ramping up health infrastructure for severe cases. This must continue. The actions in weeks five and six of the lockdown will define India’s course beyond May 3.
