Centre considering pleas by states to prolong lockdown

NEWDELHI: The Centre is considering extending the three-week nationwide lockdown over the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak after some states favoured its enforcement beyond April 14, while also weighing the option of lifting the restrictions in a staggered manner, officials said on Tuesday, when the number of cases in the country crossed 5,000.

Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Karnataka have informed New Delhi that the threat of Covid-19 would be easier to handle if the lockdown, which took effect on March 25, remains in force for a longer duration, an official said on condition of anonymity.vrajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, too, have favoured an extension of the lockdown. Even states such as Punjab, which haven’t been as forthcoming, favour maintaining the restrictions, the official added.

The number of Covid-19 cases in India on Tuesday reached 5,305 and 160 have so far died of the disease. There is concern that once the lockdown is lifted and free public movement is allowed, it could lead to a spike in the number of cases, frittering away the gains from the lockdown.

At the same time, however, there are worries that continuing with a strict lockdown could cause long-term damage to the economy -- in terms of personal finance, the administering of states, and business activity in key sectors that are already reeling from the sudden halt in economic activity.

One of the big questions will be lives versus livelihoods, according to Niti Aayog member Dr Vinod Paul, who is also the head of one of the empowered groups on the matter. “We are assessing the cost of the lockdown economically with the lives that need to be saved,” he said.

A decision on what to unlock, and when to unlock it, will also be driven by the numbers and how India stands towards the end of this week, a second official said.

AT THE SAME TIME, GOVT IS ALSO WEIGHING THE OPTION OF LIFTING THE RESTRICTIONS IN A STAGGERED MANNER WITH LOCALISED CURBS