BENGALURU: We should ease the lockdown in phases. Unlike most other countries, a majority of Indians live on daily wages and if the lockdown is not eased, we could be looking at about 20 million placed out of work. Infectious diseases experts Jayaprakash Muliyal and T Jacob John, who were at the forefront of leprosy eradication and pulse polio immunisation programmes, called a long-term shutdown akin to ‘burning the house to kill a rat’.

The government has done a good job to contain the virus. While testing is still lower, on the brighter side, our active cases are doubling only every 10 days, unlike earlier where it would double in three days.

India is faring better than most countries. People above the age of 55 should be asked to stay at home. Malls, restaurants, pubs and bars should remain closed for the next couple of months. Wearing of masks and temperature-screening in public places should be made mandatory.

Testing should also be ramped up and made easily accessible, especially for asymptomatic cases.
The government should also try and provide some sort of a stimulus for small and medium enterprises. A large majority of India earns Rs 10,000 or less each month. Someone rightly said, if the virus doesn’t kill people, then hunger will. Easing the lockdown in a systematic way is the only option.