Lockdown unnecessary in Mumbai, says expert

MUMBAI: A senior member of the Maharashtra government's COVID-19 task force on Saturday said that lockdown is a draconian measure and has limited efficacy in countering the spread of the virus. According to task force member and endocrinologist Dr Shashank Joshi, promotion of "double masking" (wearing two layers of face covering) and

formation of micro-containment zones could be effective. Maharashtra is witnessing a worrying uptick in infection numbers this month. "Lockdown is a draconian measure. It seems easy (to enforce) but it is an unwarranted measure. And there is no point in enforcing night cur fews," he said at a panel discussion.