No More Lockdowns Please – Let Us Move On!

• Let me not beat around the bush in stating that the successive lockdowns have served the purpose as intended allowing the country to shore up its healthcare infrastructure and resources to prepare to combat the menace adequately. The enormous strain on the economy of the country is also visible which makes for distressing view with no signs of regrouping any time sooner.

PC: hit infrastructure

• As the long-stalled economic activities slowly pick up the pace, infection rates to are concurrently on the rise grimly reminding the challenges ahead for the country. Allowing migrant laborers, guest workers, stranded visitors both domestic as well as international and other people was bound to happen at some point in time and the movements did take place subsequently.
• It was inevitable that the infection rates were expected to surge as is being witnessed right now across the country. However, there are efforts afoot to combat the alarmingly rising menace by resorting to lockdown yet again which not only makes such consideration of move illogical but also defies sound economic sense too.  Enough case has been built around by all the stakeholders concerned, including experts, about the inevitability to learn to live along with the virus for the foreseeable future.

PC: master of project

• Unless an effective vaccine makes its way, there is no alternative option available but to press ahead with our day-to-day functioning. As if successive lockdowns were not enough rattling the very foundation of our economy as a resultant outcome, the Tamil Nadu government has gone ahead with announcing yet another complete lockdown for Chennai and three other suburban districts starting from 19^th June till 30^th June 2020.
• Agreed, Tamil Nadu accounts for second-most cases in the country after Maharashtra and Chennai accounting for ¾ of the total cases in the State but complete clamping down is not a prudent decision at all. On the contrary, the Delhi Chief Minister deserves applause for resisting pressure from different quarters to reimpose lockdown restrictions even though cases there too are witnessing alarming growth alongside fatality rates.

PC: swachhindia

• The Chief Minister has firmly ruled out lockdowns and instead has ramped up efforts to mobilize adequate hospital beds, raising a volunteer corps and slapping fines on people not wearing masks. Creating the impression that enforcing restrictions amounts to tougher measures is a false notion and comes only at the cost of further shaking up businesses and workers. The need of the hour is to build confidence not to wobble it up all over again.  No more lockdown, please! Let’s move on to face the challenges!