Coronavirus India: What to expect in lockdown 5.0?

On May 31, the fourth extension of the current lockdown imposed in order to curtail the spread of coronavirus since March 25 will come to an end. What will happen next? Will the lockdown get extended? What will be lockdown 5.0? There are a number of questions which naturally has come up in the mind.

According to multiple reports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi once again will address the nation before June 1. There are assumptions that PM Modi may address the lockdown extension on his Mann ki Baat programme which is scheduled on Sunday but till now there is as such no confirmation as Mann ki Baat’s topic is not disclosed beforehand.

The Centre has already started making the roadmap ahead for another extension, which may be the final exit plan for the nation, which has seen a sharp rise in the number of coronavirus cases since the lockdown was imposed.

FOCUS ON 13 CITIES

Ahead of the conclusion of lockdown 4.0, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba held a meeting with municipal commissioners and district magistrates of over 13 coronavirus-hit cities in the nation including Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata.

The fifth phase of lockdown will mainly focus on 13 cities which have 70 per cent of India's COVID-19 cases. It will include Delhi, Mumbai, Thane, Bengaluru, Pune, Indore, Chennai, Ahmadabad, Surat, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Chengalpattu, Thiruvallur and Kolkata.

WHAT CENTRE STATES

According to several reports, the Centre is planning to chalk out some plans for the fifth phase of the lockdown which includes proper plotting of the containment and buffer zones and active search for cases through house-to-house surveillance. The centre may emphasise more on contact tracing as well as strengthening the testing protocol.

PROBABLE GUIDELINES

• As the central government has given permission to tackle the infection several states may decide about the activities that should be prohibited as well as to recommence, according to the ground-level situation.
• Shopping malls may be allowed to function but the decision will be on the local authorities.
• No religious gathering will be allowed but the centre is considering whether the decision of reopening religious places could be left to the States.
• Reopening of the restaurants and cafes can also be left with the State governments.
• No schools will be allowed to be function before June 15.
• Gyms might also be allowed to run except in containment zones.