The Ministry of Home Affairs on Friday extended the nationwide lockdown for another two weeks from May 4 to May 17th. However, the Lockdown 3.0 comes with a fresh set of relaxations that are different for different zones.
The entire country has been colour-coded into Red, Orange and Green Zones. The rules are the strictest in the Red Zone districts and get progressively easier in the Orange and Green Zones.
If you are in a Red Zone, the following will be allowed:
– Private cars with two persons at most.
– Two-wheelers without pillion rider.
Shops in urban areas, for non-essential goods, are not allowed in malls, markets and market complexes.
However, all standalone (single) shops, neighbourhood (colony) shops and shops in residential complexes are permitted to remain open in urban areas, without any distinction of essential and non-essential.
‘Containment Zones’ are areas where strictest enforcement of lockdown rules are in place, given the high incidence of Covid-19 positive cases. All private security and facility management services, and services provided by self-employed persons such as electricians, IT repairs, plumbers, car mechanics and carpenters, except for barbers, will be allowed in all areas, except for those classified as ‘Containment Zones’.
House help will be allowed in all zones except containment zones. But since no public transport is available, they will have to reach the residence of their employer on their own. And society rules in the zones will apply. No domestic help will be allowed in containment zones.
(Some of the relaxations are compiled here from different sources as examples. For full information please refer the original order)
During lockdown I just took out the paint & brushes to brush up my old hobby. using mixed media just painted a landscape portraying Switzerland’s star village “Gstaad” which is famous for winter sports and celebrities vacation homes. This village has got various types of accommodations including a 5 star hotel.
One of the snow capped peak of the Glacier 3000 is seen at far. This is the one of the tourist destinations of switzerland. There is a ropeway service from ground level to the peak.
This is Gstaad a star village of Switzerland showing Glacier 3000 at far end. i visited this place in the year 2011.
On 24 March, Prime Minister ordered a nationwide lockdown for 21 days, limiting movement of the entire 1.30 billion population of India as a preventive measure against the 2020 corona virus Pandemic in India. The lockdown was ordered when the number of confirmed positive cases of corona Virus in India was approximately 500.
Observers state that the lockdown has slowed the growth rate of the pandemic by 6 April to a rate of doubling every six days, from a rate of doubling every three days earlier.
As the end of the lockdown period approached, state governments and other advisory committees recommended extending the lockdown.
On 14 April, Prime minister Mr. Modi extended the nationwide lockdown till 3 May, with a conditional relaxation after 20 April for the regions where the spread has been contained.
Aproching roads, flyovers to Howrah bridge, are empty during lockdown.
As on 20 April 2020, death toll due to Covid 19 rose to over 500 and number of cases crossed 17,000 in the country (source : Times of India).
Prime Minister of India, Mr. Modi urged, Indian Citizens to observe self-imposed Curfew (Janata Curfew) on 22nd. March 2020, Sunday from 07am to 09pm in order to slowdown spreading of Corona Virus (Covid19) among citizens. The curfew was for 14 hours only and therefore viruses will remain active even after 14 hours. Therefore, this step was not adequate to combat the spreading but, I think, it was an initiative to read the pulse of the people and take harder steps. In fact, people wanted complete lockdown India for 3 days at least. Anyway, Janata Carfew on 22nd March was successful all over India and gave a clear indication for the Lockdown. School Colleges already closed, exams stopped midway. On the evening of 22nd. March CM of West Bengal Ms. Mamata Banerjee announced complete Lockdown of Kolkata and all District towns in the state from 23rd. 5pm to 27th Mid night with some exceptions like Grocery, medicine shop etc. All offices in the state will remain closed and transports, long distance trains, inter-state bus services, domestic and international flights stopped for this period so that people should forcefully stay home.
This state was free from Corona virus till a student of Oxford returned home and being a son of a bureaucrat mother and Doctor father he did not bother to get himself admitted in the state run ID Hospital. He stayed at home and even visited a mall and mom’s Office (Secretariat called “Nabanna”). His mom is holding a high ranking post – Special Secretary to the State Home Deptt. She must have chaired several meetings on the Corona Virus too. Being such a responsible post how she could be so much ignorant and take her son to “Nabanna” the state Secretariat, CM’s Office. it is reported that she attended a meeting that day with her Boss, Home Secy. She knew that her son’s girl friend got infected in UK through an email from Oxford. College emailed two days back stating that his friend tested positive and advised to keep him isolated and get tested. But reluctantly they visited an hospital after two days and that hospital too advised them to go to ID Hospital Beleghata (Infectious diseases Hospital). But they avoided that day too. She attended a meeting in her office and her boy was accompanied by her in the same car. Next day they visited ID hospital and got tested positive. Mean time, in these 2/3 days, his father, a Doctor attended his office as well as his Chambers. Being a Child specialist, he treated many children during this period. After the boy tested positive, both parents along with their maids, drivers are in a Isolation Centre. This is an example of irresponsibility, negligence of a highly educated family.
Second case also is UK returned student who stayed in his home with his family till he came to know that two of his friends tested positive. Then he visited a doctor and finally landed at ID Hospital. His entire family members are kept in a isolation Centre.
The third case too came from abroad. A girl student from scotland came to city and she went strait to ID Hospital where she tested positive. She did not spread much except her father who went to receive her at airport and the driver only. they are in isolation for 14 days.
While writing this post, a sad news came that the 4th. case, one of our co-citizen aged about 57 years a Railway employee expired today. He attended a marriage in Bilaspur travelled back by train to Kolkata in February. Then he attended his office for 5 days. His wife so long was suspecting this train journey. His son studying in Philadelphia USA and visited India in Feb last. Doctors doubted that they are hiding some thing. Then his wife was thoroughly counselled by the treating Doctor and finally she revealed that his son and his Italian girl friend visited them (Came from Italy) in the month of February last. So this case has a strong Italy connection. But it is not clear about his son’s and his girl friend’s health. That is still to be known and may be published later. At present all of his family members and office collegues are in hospitals. Very sad that today, 23rd. Mar 2020 he expired while in Ventilation. This is the First Corona death in the city as well as in the state of west Bengal. Total death in India goes to 8 till now. What will be tomorrow’s figure we don’t know because people are not serious and irresponsible.
From the above it is clear that all the cases came from UK and Italy. Except one case, they roamed freely in the city, relatives, friends, office and we do not know how many have been infected by them. It takes about 4-5 days, to show the symptoms. And during this time, infected people thinking themselves as healthy, they lead normal life, in turn infecting numerous people. If this goes on this way, then India will enter to third stage soon which no sensible citizens, no Govt. want. This necessitated Lockdown the states. CM announced the Lockdown of Kolkata and all District towns in the state from today, 23rd. 5pm to 27th Mid night . Many states already declared or will follow and hopefully India going to be completely Lockdown soon.
Be a responsible citizen, Break the chain of spreading deadly virus. Stay Home, stay safe.
Anil
Anil Chandra's Blog 