With effect from April 20, TN had slapped a night curfew and a lockdown on Sundays in the face of rising cases. Clearly, this was not enough, and those who regarded this as a piece of tokenism have been vindicated with the announcement of the second round of lockdown restrictions within a week of the first.

There were a little over 10,000 new infections per day when the first round of restrictions took effect, a number that has risen to over 15,000 new infections per day as the second kicks in. The new round of restrictions is both wide-ranging and absolutely necessary in the circumstances. In an unstated but distinct way, the restrictions are targeted at activities and institutions regarded as temporarily expendable in the present circumstances. Theatres, gyms, bars, recreation clubs and malls have been barred from operation, even as industrial establishments have been allowed to function under the existing rules. In Chennai, facilities such as beauty parlours, spas and saloons will have to shutter, while restaurants may offer only takeaway services.

There is no denying that there is an economic consequence in shutting down cinema halls and big shopping complexes. But the impact of this is far less than forcing almost the entire economy into lockdown, which the Centre did last year. There is a realisation all over the country that it is important to strike a balance between preserving livelihoods and protecting public health, which is no easy task, but the only way forward.

On Monday, the Madras High Court had suggested to the governments of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to consider declaring a complete lockdown on May 1 in addition to the previously declared Sunday lockdown of May 2, when the counting of votes that were polled in the April 6 Assembly elections gets under way. There was also an additional curb where all fish and meat stalls are to remain closed on Saturdays too. While announcing the new set of restrictions, the State government has also expressed concern about the failure of the public to follow safety norms. There is absolutely no doubt that people have been less than careful in the State, actively contributing to the coronavirus spread. Having said this, it is imperative that the State government takes firmer measures to keep the public in check. Over the past few months, people have been allowed to roam about freely without masks. The police have done precious little to check this, having been much laxer about masking than their counterparts are in other States such as Delhi. If stricter punitive measures are needed to enforce safety norms, the State government must not fight shy of introducing and then enforcing them.

As things stand, it is not clear how long we will have to live with these lockdown-like restrictions. During the recent PM-CMs meet, NITI Aayog member Dr VK Paul suggested that the country’s daily caseload may touch a staggering 5 lakh. The only sliver of hope comes ironically from the worst-hit state Maharashtra, where Mumbai has registered a gradual fall over the last week or more; there are signs, although very nascent, that fresh cases are falling in Pune too. This wave may peak at different times in different States, but from all appearances, it will not be before June when we will have an idea of where we are placed and how we are doing. Meanwhile, it is imperative to enforce the lockdown measures with an iron hand – there is no place for soft-touch populism in the face of a pandemic such as this.