Weekend shutdown fails to break chain of transmission

Bhubaneswar: The weekend shutdown in several districts, including the capital city, doesn’t seem to be yielding the desired result. The reason: the unprecedented rush in markets on Fridays and Mondays, defeating all efforts by the state government to contain the novel coronavirus.
The government had initiated the 48-hour weekend shutdown in a bid to limit the presence of people (the carriers of the virus) outside so that the chain of transmission can be broken.
Corresponding to the weekend shutdown from June first week, positive cases have gone up by leaps and bounds. Since June 1, 10,008 cases (5117 in June and 4891 in July so far) have been reported while till May 31, there were only 1948 cases in the state.
“The logic behind weekend shutdown was to break the chain of transmission as virus is expected to die within 48 hours if it doesn’t come in contact with people. Yes, there is rush on Friday evenings and Monday mornings, but people need to be more conscious. Had there been no weekend shutdown, there would have been more cases than those at present,” said Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra, additional chief secretary (health).
He said that by the end of May, the government had estimated that Odisha would have 43,000 cases, but that didn’t happen because of stringent measures like curfew, lockdown and shifting of markets.
Ashok Mohapatra, vice-chancellor of SOA University, said there should be strict enforcement in market places by the police on Fridays and Mondays. “People coming to the markets should be regulated by putting up barricades. On a given time (for example 7am to 9am), some hundred people should be allowed to the market considering its size and space and so on. At no time should the number of people be allowed to swell in the markets,” Ashok observed.
He said it is unfortunate that people are not wearing masks despite being fined. “It is a crucial time and people should adhere to pandemic norms. They should supplement the government efforts by obeying the rules for their own safety,” Ashok added.
In June, 11 districts were asked to go for weekend shutdown. But in July, the government brought in some changes and introduced new districts. Now, with the district administrations empowered to decide shutdowns if they feel so, weekend curfew is being implemented in 19 of the 30 districts.
Saurendra Kumar Mohanty, secretary of Maitree Vihar Resident Welfare Association, said if people don’t keep shopping till the last moment, there would be no rush in the markets. “Now the curfew starts at 9 pm instead of 7 pm. People are getting more time to buy essentials. Instead of rushing in the evening, they should prefer morning and afternoon hours for the purpose. I think the officer-goers, who return home at 5pm or 6 pm, should go for shopping in the evening,” he opined.