THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the Covid second wave showing gradual decline in the state, health experts have demanded lifting the lockdown and protecting the livelihoods of people who have suffered in the past one month due to the restrictions.
Though the government, they said, offered piecemeal relaxations while extending the lockdown till June 9, the restrictions have impacted a majority of people. The peak of the second wave was identified around mid-May and since then, there has been a visible drop in the test positivity rate, new cases and more importantly, in the number of people under treatment in hospitals. All the factors have called for a relook into the lockdown strategy.
“The lockdown will not have any effect beyond June 9. The declining trend will continue even if it is lifted. Daily cases will drop to 500 per day by the end of June. However, a continuation of lockdown will affect livelihoods,” said Dr SS Santhoshkumar, deputy superintendent, Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram.
Various organisations of workers, small-scale merchants as well as service and manufacturing units have voiced their opposition to continuing with the restrictions. The lockdown imposed on May 8, closer to the peak of the second wave, attracted criticism from various quarters. While doctors’ organisations in the public and private sectors were critical of the delay in imposing it, they also wanted the economy to be unlocked gradually.
“We delayed the lockdown by at least two weeks. Had we not, we could have reduced the number of patients and deaths. Still, we can now have more relaxations after assessing various parameters,” said state secretary of Indian Medical Association, Dr Gopikumar P. Even after the lockdown is lifted, life should not become similar to the pre-lockdown period, caution experts.
“Restrictions on mass gatherings should continue for some time if we want the desired results. Coronavirus variants, especially B.1.617 variant (named Delta), spreads fast. People should be allowed to go to work and shops should be permitted to open, but strict social distancing should be followed.
The conditions for a fast spread of the infection will stay the same even after the lockdown is lifted,” said Dr K P Aravindan, a leading pathologist and member of the expert panel on Covid. Dr Santhoshkumar demanded legal measures to restrict all mass gatherings, including marriages and religious functions.
According to Dr Arun N M, a public health expert, though active cases are on the decline, the demand for ICU beds in major hospitals remains high. He said the Covid Jagratha portal of the health department often gives inaccurate information on bed occupancy.
Experts suggest
Open all shops, allow people to go to work
Restrict all mass gatherings
Ensure social distancing after lockdown too
99,651 single-day recoveries on May 17, the highest in state
Let’s talk numbers
Barring a few days, the TPR in the state has been on the decline since May 12. However, after dropping to 13% on May 31, it jumped 2 percentage points in June. Since
May 16, active cases too have seen a drop.