Unlock 1.0: Celebs urge people to not step out
After a being cooped up indoors for almost three months due to the spread of Covid-19, many people are going stir-crazy due to sitting at home. And hence, when restrictions were eased, photos of crowds at Mumbai’s Marine Drive and Versova beach surfaced, and it was a worrying sight.
Given the situation, celebs, though tempted, aren’t stepping out of their homes, barring for essentials, and are urging their fans to follow suit. “As responsible citizens, we shouldn’t go out, if not needed. Right now, shopping isn’t important, taking care of one’s life and others around you is. This time is worse than the lockdown, as cases are rising and we should not let our guard down,” says actor Kavita Kaushik, who was shocked on seeing people at Lokhandwala market without masks, standing close to each other.
Actor Mona Singh, too, was shocked on seeing people queuing up outside a popular coffee shop “hanging out next to their parked cars”. “Why can’t they value their lives?
Now is the time to be vigilant,” she asserts.
Actor Iqbal Khan has not stepped out for a walk or a drive, but “just for essentials and some paint that he needed”, while actor Nakuul Mehta has gone for walks in his building compound and buys essentials twice a week for himself and his parents.
“My friends in the medical fraternity say that the situation is far worse than is reported. People who are privileged and can stay at home must do so. I get that it has been hard for most people to stay indoors, but we must exercise restraint,” says Mehta.
Actor Drashti Dhami, too, hasn’t stepped out, “even for a walk”. She says, “I am happy being homebound and getting way too comfortable with this setup. People should still consider this time a lockdown as the crisis is not over.”
Meanwhile, actor Jay Bhanushali avoids markets and crowded places as he has an infant at home, and orders whatever he needs online.