India Fights Back
India tries enforcing social distancing with national lockdown to flatten the coronavirus transmission curve and ease the health system. Further, states are using Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code, the Epidemic Disease Act, 1897 and the Indian Penal Code for implementation. The government must fulfill essential requirements which did not happen during Janta curfew. Although it got a positive response, it was met with frenzy among migrant laborers. As they crowded trains trying to reach home before shutdown and many were stuck at the terminals as the train service was suspended. While these people are potential infectees and might have been helping to virus transmission. Now a similar situation can't be afforded ahead a week-long shutdown. It's the government's responsibility to provide socio-economically vulnerable and elderly people with enough medicines and other essential items to survive the lockdown. Civic departments and NGOs can help in this regard. As per Periodic Labour Force Survey data for 2017-18, about 55% of households have slim regular employment while 37% depend on casual labor as their major income source. Now the government must provide them with enough funds to sustain the restriction period, followed by support to preserve their employment. Besides, the main challenge will be the implementation of a system to prevent transmission when restrictions are relaxed. As WHO says, China, South Korea, and Singapore implemented strict shutdown followed by extensive testing. This will be the real test for India's national and State governments.
Summarized from 473 words to 241
Detailed post can be found at Lockdown and beyond: On India's response to coronavirus
Summarized from 473 words to 241
Detailed post can be found at Lockdown and beyond: On India's response to coronavirus
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