DO WE NEED ANOTHER LOCKDOWN ?
Amidst the rising cases and looming second wave !
~ Ayushi - March 2021
Amidst the rising cases and looming second wave !
~ Ayushi - March 2021
India, being a democratic nation needs election in order to survive and expand. India has been battling to save its political structure for some time, and the battle was far from over when another pandemic struck, exposing our already-broken system.
“The answer for the rising numbers won’t be a simple or fast one. There are two ways of thinking, one that figures a lockdown might be helpful in light of the fact that it can ensure lives, and another that feels that a lockdown would annihilate jobs and hence lives."
The COVID-19 pandemic positively presents an era-defining gainsay to public health and the global economy. Its political consequences, both short-run and long-run, are less well understood.
The agent is a virus that is constantly evolving, and scientists are still learning about the variants through genome sequencing." Whether or not we've all been taking Covid-19 precautions and getting vaccinated as hosts will explain why there's been an increase in numbers. In terms of the climate, anything that happens around us, such as if the government allows cinemas and pubs, is important.
India's pandemic curve had started to flatten in the early months of 2021, giving the impression that the pandemic was being beaten down. This increase coincides with the appearance of new SARS-CoV-2 virus strain, which scientists are still trying to understand how they behave. Is another lockdown the solution, or can individuals, neighbourhoods, companies, and administrators be persuaded to follow Covid-19 guidelines?
With the Holi, Mahakumbh and Eid approaching, five states in the midst of a tumultuous election season, India's second wave' is firmly upon us, according to numbers. Lockdown is never a SOLUTION for Coronavirus in the present scenario. Lockdown would not be possible to maintain until the coronavirus is fully eradicated, as this will not happen anytime soon. Coronavirus vaccine is the answer to the problem of coronavirus.
What is the use of Lockdown then? The aim of lockdown is to flatten the curve of positive cases. When the lockdown was declared in February, India lacked sufficient hospital beds, ICUs, PPE kits, and, most importantly, public knowledge and education about the virus. However, after more than a month of lockout, several states have planned and are able to deal with an influx of patients. The lockdown is for you to prepare. The lockdown is to ensure that this nonsense is genuine and not a joke. One thing that may worry you is, "What if the number of cases increases too quickly after the lockdown is lifted?"
Look, if we look at the time of lockdown, the number of cases is rising every day, and it's only going to get worse. The simple explanation is that we come into touch with a lot of people even after lockdown. Milkmen, grocery store owners, vegetable and fruit vendors, plumbers, and repairmen are only a few examples. The lockdown has undoubtedly broken the chain, but the country cannot remain in lockdown indefinitely. There can't be a lockout unless the number of patients is zero. Except for a few districts that are the hardest hit, the lockdown will be lifted soon. As a result, we must be prepared.
The general public must realise that lockdown is not a solution; instead, the solution is to be conscious and alert:
1. Use mask all the time when you are out of your house.
2. Wash your hands properly each and every time you eat food, drink water.
3. Touch you face as less as possible (do it intentionally otherwise we don't even get to know when we touched our eyes or nose).
4. Don't spit in public.
5. Avoid shaking hands.
6. Maintain social distancing even at home.
The day when lockout is lifted will not be the day when there are no more corona patients. Corona positives will be present at that time as well, but by taking the necessary precautions, we will stay healthy and break the chain. (Take, for example, Bhilwara, which was declared corona-free and hasn't had a single case ever, but new cases have recently been registered there.) The period following the removal of lockout would be more difficult and dangerous. We, the Indians, must realise that a lockdown will not eliminate corona; it will only slow down the process.
Economists (and, of course, governments) fear recession because it slows the economy's demand and spending. As a result, businesses are forced to slash expenses and fire workers in order to stay afloat. These laid-off workers will reduce their spending even further, deepening the recession. This usual recessionary method, on the other hand, has been well-studied, and most governments have developed tools to alleviate the pain.
A different story is the current slowdown caused by the coronavirus. It has simultaneously lowered both demand and supply in the economy. Companies desire to manufacture but are unable to do so due to a lack of manpower. People want to buy stuff, but their buying power is in jeopardy. This blockade is expected to last at least a few months, and even after that, the markets are unlikely to return to normalcy anytime soon. This drop in business activity would inevitably hurt global trade in the coming quarters.
According to rough estimates, the US economy could lose up to $5 trillion in FY20. While it will recover next year, this knee-jerk reaction will obliterate a large portion of the world's impoverished population. People in the middle class and those with wealth will weather the storm better, but those on the margins (especially in countries with poor social safety nets) will bear the brunt of the downturn.
Not only will the lockout harm the global economy, but it will also harm India's economy. Approximately 14 crore Indians have lost their jobs as a result of the shutdown, and over 45 percent of households in the country have seen a decline in income from the previous year. The majority of these workers are day laborers and refugees. We cannot let the poor, laborers, or migrants' workers bear the brunt of the virus's containment efforts, nor do we want to undermine the economy's foundations to the point that we emerge from the pandemic with a devastated economy. The main issue is finding the right balance between preventing the virus from spreading and keeping the economy running.
Effect of Covid - 19 will be widespread throughout the economy. The immediate effects will be in certain industries. Some of the industries that would be impacted would be retail, travel & tourism, hospitality, live sports, real estate, oil & gas, construction, cinema halls & film industry. To take one single industry like restaurants - about 40% of restaurants will facing closure, throwing 7 million people out of jobs and a revenue loss of 4,00,000 crores. Recovery will depend on what stimulus that the Government uses.
We all know that lockdown is temporary solution not the practical one. So, the way covid pandemic can be controlled is-
• medicine availability for treatment (not yet developed)
• Vaccine for covid (not yet developed and opposition has already started spreading misinformation of the same )
• immunity of the herd (no mass immunity developed so far) Since they originally went for this, there is a reason for seriousness in the United Kingdom.
• self-isolation/ quarantine for the people returning from other countries (people did no follow)
• social distancing (people are not following)
That is the reason Covid is turning into a serious law and order problem rathr than a medical issue alone.
So Taking "Adequate Precautions" probably is the "Only Option" till we have that solution in our hands.