EASING OUT OF THE LOCKDOWN IN INDIA

As we come up on 14^th April 2020 which is supposed to be the end of the 21 day period of lockdown announced by PM for India, speculation is rife on whether or not this lockdown will be extended, and if yes, by what duration. By now many perspectives have been given regarding the pros and cons of extension of the lockdown. Arguments against the lockdown in view of the socio-economic impact have been captured by me and many others on numerous occasions already. What is forefront in everyone’s mind is what will transpire post 14^th April 2020.

According to me, if you piece together all the bits of news and information floating around, it is self-evident and a no brainer how this should and ought to play out. For a proper perspective we have to rephrase the question. It is not the question whether the lockdown shall end on 14^th April or 30^th April or some other date. It is the question that in what manner lockdown will be ended.

According to me, following are the steps that should be taken (and are being contemplated to be taken from what I can make out from various sources) as a way forward:

1. Post 15^th April 2020, each State CM to take decision with respect to their State and specific districts in the State based on the ground level situation rather than a decision being taken by PM for the entire country. This is logical as each State has its unique fact situation and all are not similarly placed in terms of infected cases etc.
2. Hotspots in the specific districts to continue under lockdown – we have seen some steps in this direction yesterday from CM of UP and Delhi.
3. State borders to remain closed except for transport of goods.
4. International borders to remain closed except for cargo movement.
5. Gatherings of more than 4 persons continue to be restricted till further notice.
6. Movie halls, stadiums, auditoriums and other public places used for large public gathering continue to remain closed.
7. All offices and factories to open with SOPs in place for precautions to be taken including social distancing.
8. Construction activity to resume, with SOPs in place for social distancing and precautions.
9. Daily wagers to be allowed to come back to the various cities to resume their vocation.
10. Wearing of masks outside the home to be compulsory for all.
11. Public transport to be restarted with social distancing measures in place.
12. Schools and Colleges to remain closed but be mandated to implement online classes.
13. Malls, shops and restaurants to be allowed to open with extended hours, maximum limit on number of patrons and SOPs for precautions to be taken vis-à-vis health safety.
14. Continued testing, tracing and monitoring – or 5Ts as encapsulated by Delhi CM – and sealing off any new hotspots that may emerge.
15. Continued build up of capacity in all states to be able to cater to increasing number of patients (as this increase is inevitable – lockdown or not).
16. Domestic airlines and railways to be started only subsequently, that also with social distancing SOPs.

The PM needs to address the nation before 14^th April 2020. He should focus only on the help proposed to be extended by Central Government for economic relief and medical support. The easing of the lockdown and measures to be implemented, he should defer to the CMs of the States.

Any blanket extension of the lockdown on an as is basis, will not only entail dire economic consequences, it will also entail almost all businesses to STOP paying salaries to their employees post 15^th April 2020. I am sure the PM and CMs will not be pleased about this outcome and needs to keep this GROUND REALITY front and centre in their decision matrix while being flooded by recommendations and ‘expert speak’ from all quarters.

© Anshuman Khanna 2020

Published on www.anshumankhanna.in