The decision to lockdown the country in wake of the awful effects of COVID-19 could be the immediate way forward, but it's not a silver bullet. A lockdown declared without preparation has caused problems for millions of people. These problems will not go away if any old religious serial is broadcast on TV. The government should have built effective mechanisms for testing on a war footing in affected areas. But this is not being discussed in time, in the same manner as a ban on international flights was not taken on time. The help that a lockdown provides in terms of preventing infection-dispersion is hanging in the balance due to political weakness. In this episode of 'Hafte Ki Baat', senior journalist Urmilesh speaks about these issues, based on the opinions of experts from both India, and abroad.
The decision to lockdown the country in wake of the awful effects of COVID-19 could be the immediate way forward, but it's not a silver bullet.