Hyderabad: As more and more states open up businesses and public spaces, interest in the novel coronavirus in India seems to be abating. According to Google Trends results, search interest in coronavirus in May has fallen by half as against April.
The rapid increase of the novel disease the number of positive cases in Telangana are on the surge with 4,111 reported cases and 156 deaths till date. Meanwhile, the statistics collated by siasat.com show that the tests being carried out at the rate of 400 per day might take 241 years to complete the process for the s 3.52 crore of population.
The first case in the state was reported on February 21 with the arrival of an IT professional from Bangalore which led to created panic and tension in the state.
The government had imposed five phases of lockdown. The first one began (1.0) on March 24 and continued up to April 11; lockdown 2.0 started on April 12 to May 3 and; lockdown 3.0 on May 4 and ran up to May 17. The so far pre final lockdown came in to force on (4.0) on May 18 for the next two weeks. And now the state is in its Lockdown 5.0 stage which would end on June 30.
Each lockdown had lasted for at least two to four weeks. The five phase lockdown is about gradual unlocking, each time with additional relaxations. The ongoing lockdown (5.0) is being called differently ‘unlock: 1.0’. During this phase-wise relaxations are being provided in different sectors, including education.
If one looks back at the initial stage of lockdown, the city had a deserted look, restraining all its citizens in their homes with just a handful of them on roads. On one hand it was a preventive measure against coronavirus which was felt absolutely necessary. But it turned out that the lockdown is quietly leading extreme forms poverty, deprivation and even starvation among the lower income group persons.
The present Unlock 1.0 has resulted in the reopening of almost all shops and manufacturing units.
As soon as unlocking 1.0 got imposed hordes of people came out on the roads. It was freedom from official confinement.
Now, the down side of the lifting lockdown is that the number of COVID cases have begun to surge in a manner that was not seen before. Therefore, the experts as well as commoners are reaching the same conclusion. Lockdown should be re-imposed until a cure for the disease is found out.
Nihad Amani
nihadamani5@gmail.com