With the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases, many in the city are favouring imposition of partial lockdown. There is a feeling that with the relaxation of the lockdown from the first week of June, cases have been spreading rapidly and the community transmission is on. In the first week of June, the total positive cases were 143 and as on Saturday morning (July 18) the cases are 2,562 and the death toll has gone up from 3 (June first week) to 47.
Many are not following the basic protocol as prescribed by the WHO or the ICMR, said R. Jagannadham, president of Visakhapatnam Kirana Merchant Association (VKMA).
The VKMA, has already imposed a voluntary lockdown and have passed a resolution to open their shops from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Another member of VKMA, Shyam Sundar Prajapati, said “We feel that some restriction in the form of partial lockdown is the need of the hour. The shop timings can be regulated from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 6 a.m. to 2 p.m, across all segments, be it a provision or a garment store or a shopping mall.”
Many traders feel that partial lockdown, will get them get some economic freedom and at the same time will also keep them and their customers safe.
Many citizens feel partial lockdown should also be implemented in letter and spirit. Even till date the 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew is imposed, but it is not enforced or implemented. Even after 9 p.m. many shops remain open and people are seen moving around freely, said a senior professor from Andhra University. “Let us not see the day when things go out of control and we have to declare complete lockdown like Bengaluru had done,” he said.
Agreeing to the fact that at least a partial lockdown is the need of the hour, a senior police officer said that every sector, including the frontline sectors such as media, police and medical, is affected, but it is the call of the government.
‘Develop immunity’
While lockdown could be one option, many doctors feel that the need of the hour is to develop immunity in the community.
“It is proved that people with good immunity can resist or fight the virus and it is also proved that only two out of 10 are affected and the others are able to resist due to better immune system. So the need of the hour is that the government should take up supply of good immune boosting drugs free of cost to better the immune system. Since community spread is already on, it is time to build the herd immunity,” said Suresh Somayajula, a senior doctor.