MARCH 22, 2020
- As the coronavirus crisis deepens across the world, countries are using lockdown as one of the prime quarantine strategies to control the spread.
- A lockdown happens during different kinds of emergencies and it disrupts normal life.
- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown from 7 am to 9 pm on March 22, 2020. Here is what lockdown means and what to expect from a lockdown declaration and the situation that follows it.
The Coronavirus outbreak is deepening into several countries around the world. Since it first appeared in China’s Wuhan province in December 2019, Coronavirus has taken a huge toll on several countries and has taken a massive number of human lives.
Countries are now trying their best to control the spread of the virus and cure those that are already infected. Partial or full lockdown is one of the prime quarantine strategies adopted by countries to control the exploding infection.
What does a lockdown mean?
A lockdown can be defined as an emergency protocol implemented by the authorities that prevents people from leaving a given area. A full lockdown will mean that the people in the given area must stay where they are and must not exit or enter a building or given area.
A preventive lockdown is a preemptive plan effected to address an unusual situation or weakness in a system to forestall any danger to people, organization or system. The nature of the lockdown protocol ordered at a given time will be based on the type of threat and will feature the required flexibility to handle the situation faced during the times.
China was the pioneer in ordering a lockdown situation in Wuhan
Following the alarming rise of coronavirus infection in some regions, China declared a lockdown in Wuhan and several provinces surrounding it. While a number of experts raised their own concerns regarding the effectiveness of this strategy, it seems to have worked.
In two months, the daily number of infections and deaths in China sharply declined, proving that lockdown was effective in Wuhan. Following this, lockdown became a model for other countries to emulate to control the spread of coronavirus.
On March 9, Italy called for a countrywide lockdown and most of the 62 million Italians confined themselves inside their homes in an attempt to stop the Coronavirus spread. Very soon, Spain and France followed suit.
What to expect from a lockdown
The nature of a lockdown situation depends on the condition that necessitated it. A lockdown usually allows essential supplies, grocery stores, pharmacies and banks to continue to serve the people.
While explaining the rules of the lock down announced on March 22, 2020, PM Modi said, “During this curfew, we shall neither leave our homes nor get onto the streets or roam about our localities. This people’s curfew will, in a way, be a litmus test for us, for our nation. This is also the time to see and test how prepared India is for fighting off a global pandemic.”
Follow the government’s latest travel advice if you are planning a trip outside India or travelling back to India from affected areas. You can also read World Health Organization’s advice on basic protective measures against the virus. WHO has also busted some myths surrounding coronavirus. The Ministry of Health’s special helpline is available at +91-11-23978046 and ncov2019@gmail.com.
Courtesy/Source: Business Insider India
