Different forms of lockdown across India as cases spike

COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS Some states are under total lockdown, some have graded restrictions or weekend curbs

NEWDELHI:AT least half of India’s population is under various types of lockdowns — full, partial or weekend — according to orders issued by different state governments over the past few days.

States such as Bihar, Sikkim, Nagaland are under complete lockdown; West Bengal has announced a two-day lockdown every week, and states such as Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have opted for weekend lockdowns.

Several districts such as Kamrup Metropolitan district in Assam, which includes capital Guwahati, Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh and Raipur in Chhattisgarh are among 326 districts of the total 734 districts in the country that are under some kind of lockdown.

The national lockdown across India was lifted after 68 days from June 1. But the union home ministry has allowed state governments to enforce lockdowns or any other restrictions to control the spread of Covid 19.

Since the lifting of the lockdown, the number of Covid cases in the country has almost doubled from 604,993 on June 1 to 1,153,428 on July 20.

“Lockdown is not a solution for controlling Covid-19,” Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa said on Tuesday as he ruled out extension of the week-long shutdown in the capital city of Bengaluru and elsewhere.

“We were successful at the beginning in controlling the COVID, but in recent days, especially in Bengaluru, COVID cases have increased .... I want to tell the people of the state that for the control of the virus, lockdown is not the solution. The solution is wearing masks and maintaining social distancing,” Yediyurappa said.

However, some more districts across India enforced complete lockdown to control the spread of Covid on Tuesday.

The Ballia district administration in Uttarpraesh, for instance, decided on Tuesday to extend the lockdown in the district headquarters and adjoining areas till July 26. The lockdown was imposed on July 3. “Following the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the district, the lockdown has been extended till July 26 in district headquarters and adjoining areas,” said District Magistrate Hari Pratap Shahi.

Thoubal district in Manipur was put under lockdown till July 27 and urban areas of Durg, Korba, and Bilaspur districts in Chhattisgarh came under lockdown restrictions from Thursday.