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  • Congress leader Rahul Gandhi opened the party's campaign for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections with an Insaaf rally in Sangrur, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's home district, accusing the AAP government of failing to control drugs, gangster violence and corruption. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge outlined six commitments, including a drug-free Punjab, protection of farmers, employment for young people and action against corruption
  • Rahul Gandhi accused the AAP government of running Punjab through a remote control from Delhi and questioned Bhagwant Mann's ability to tackle drug abuse, making personal allegations about the Chief Minister's conduct during their time together in Parliament
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Lockdown As A Stand-Alone Measure is Self-Defeating

By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2021-04-28 03:54:17

About the Author

Sunil Garodia Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator. Author of Cyber Scams in India, Digital Arrest, The Money Trap and The Human Hack

Although testing, tracing, isolation/quarantine and treatment, along with containment zone policy and strict enforcement of Covid protocols is the best way to control the spread of coronavirus, when the positivity rate (PR) jumps beyond 15% in some districts and stays there for a week or more, the government has to lockdown those districts to prevent further exponential rise in the PR. Nearly 150 districts spread over 12 states have been showing a positivity rate ranging between 15 to 30 percent for over a week now, contributing majorly to the 3 lakh plus fresh cases and over two thousand (3286 on Tuesday) deaths being reported every single day for one week now. Even on Sunday and Monday, when testing is low, the fresh case count stayed put at around 3.5 lakh, which is a matter of huge concern.

It is well known that lockdowns are bad more the economy and trigger a migrant exodus, but when things go out of hand, as the high positivity rate and death toll indicate, there is no other way to immediately control the surge. The Centre has said that it has identified the 150 or so districts where the surge is showing no signs of being controlled and is in talks with respective states to enforce lockdown in these districts. Despite one's aversion for lockdowns, one feels that in the current situation, this is a step in the right direction.

But lockdown as a standalone measure is self-defeating for once unlock happens, things become worse. The experience of the nationwide lockdown last year shows that despite assurance to the contrary, heath infrastructure was not ramped up to necessary levels and that is what is causing multiple problems in the second wave. If the lockdown is imposed, the government must ensure that health infrastructure is ramped up. It must also ensure within the 14 days of the lockdown, the containment zone policy is put in place and strictly implemented. More people must be fully vaccinated in these districts on priority basis. Post the lockdown the administration must wield the stick to ensure that people follow all Covid protocols strictly. Additionally, all large gatherings of all kinds must be immediately banned across India. Covid negative certificate (not more than 72 hours old) must be made mandatory for travel. 

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