Sudden lifting of lockdown could be disastrous: Experts

Dharwad: Experts are of the opinion that a sudden lifting of the lockdown could prove disastrous and the government should not withdraw it completely till foolproof indication that there is no threat of Covid-19 spreading further.
Political analyst and public administration expert Prof Harish Ramaswamy said it is important to heed the words of the scientific community in such times.It is expected that the crisis is yet to unfold fully and ending the lockdown should not be an option at this stage, he said.
“The way forward will be three-fold. First, the current lockdown will have to be extended by at least four weeks without a break to enforce self-quarantining and social distancing and reduce the pressure on our healthcare system. Second, to ensure people remain calm, they need to be made fully aware of the government’s strategy, besides being guaranteed the supply of essentials during this crisis. Third, an increase in the number of daily tests on asymptomatic people is absolutely vital to bring community transmission of the virus under control and eventually curb it,” he said.
Former IPS officer Gopal Hosur, who headed the state intelligence wing, said the period after the lockdown is lifted needs to be handled carefully to ensure people’s safety and the working class is not deprived of its daily requirements. “There should be no law and order problem as a large number of people come out of their homes. The relaxation of the lockdown should happen in a phased manner, in two-three months, and when economic activities pick up pace,” he said.