Is a national lockdown the only way to break the covid chain? Should it be complete or localized? Will the lockdown destroy livelihoods? Will it hurt the economy? Rajdeep Sardesai, editor of India Today TV Consulting, asks top experts these questions on his News Today program at 9am. Excerpts:
DR.GIRIDHAR BABU, PROFESSOR & KOPF, LIFECOURSE EPIDEMIOLOGY, PHFI, BENGALURU: I don’t think national lockdown is the way to go. Mainly because we don’t understand the dynamics of disease transmission. We have to see what the epicentres are. For example, it is Bengaluru in Karnataka. Blocking the state may not be justified. We’re failing at containment. A lockdown is required at the city level, at the district level with high transmissions. Especially where people cannot get intensive care. We should try to reduce the number and relieve the health system. If you don’t spot cases well, a full lockdown won’t help. Lockdown only slows down speed, but containment is what you need.
DR.VISHAL RAO US, MEMBER, EXPERT COMMITTEE, COVID TASK FORCE, GOVERNMENT OF KARNATAKA, BENGALURU: We must acknowledge that lockdown helps us prepare, and lockdown itself requires planning and preparation. The need for oxygen doubles. The lockdown in Karnataka is an important signal from the state government. Ultimately, however, it is also the citizens’ responsibility to follow guidelines. The vaccination chain can suffer during lockdown. We have to change our strategy.
#CoronavirusCrisis | Lockdown will become the only available option if we could not act on time, says Dr Giridhara R Babu (@epigiri). Dr Vishal Rao says vaccination is the only mantra to save lives. #NewsToday pic.twitter.com/l5uRDTrccL
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) April 26, 2021
DR.SHAHID JAMEEL, VIROLOGUE AND CEO OF DBT / WELLCOME TRUST INDIA ALLIANCE, NEW DELHI: A nationwide lockdown will not serve the purpose. We need more locks in high transfer areas. We saw what a disaster the last national livelihood lockdown caused. It is important to keep a balance. Adequate arrangements must be made to enable people to receive food and increase their incomes. Bans have a huge impact on daily operations. We should keep an eye on the people and not turn into a police state. So this trust is important. The vaccine delivery rate has been going down in the past few days. New variants spread faster, but it is incorrect to say that they evade antibodies. I agree that the health system is under enormous strain. But it is difficult to hand all responsibility over to the individual. Managers need to lead by example. The problem lies in the political divide.
MADAN SABNAVIS, CHIEF ECONOMIST, CARE REVIEWS, MUMBAI: We had very few cases during the last national lockdown. All countries did and the idea looked reasonable. It makes sense to ask for a lockdown, but the government has no alternative system to feed the people. That’s why Unlock came. We just hope these local locks break the chain.
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