Here Is What We Know So Far About The Nationwide Lockdown After April 14

If there is one question that 1.3 billion Indians want an answer to is 'when will the 21-day nationwide lockdown end?' According to the original schedule, the lockdown which came into effect on Mach 25 will end on April 14.

BCCL

The 21-day nationwide lockdown was announced with an aim to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the country and 'flatten the curve'. But since the country went into lockdown the number of COVID-19 cases has only increased.

Double in four days

On March 25, India had a total of 618 confirmed cases of COVID-19, out of which 562 were active and the death toll was at 13. But just over two weeks after the lockdown came into effect the figure stands at 6,237 confirmed cases, out of which 5,484 are active and the death toll was 184.

REUTERS

Data showed that the number of COVID-19 patients has doubled in India every 4-5 days and if the spike continues on the same trajectory we will have around 17,000 positive cases on April 14, the day the 21-day nationwide lockdown is scheduled to end.

Lockdown or no lockdown?

But if the indications from various states and healthcare experts are anything to go by, the lockdown is here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi indicated to legislature party leaders that the lockdown may have to stay in place beyond April 14. ¡°I have been speaking to chief ministers and district collectors¡­ the common refrain is that it is not easy to lift the lockdown,¡± the prime minister said.

BCCL

¡°We need to be strict in implementing social distancing norms. So be it lifting or extending the lockdown, the general mood is that it will not be possible to lift the lockdown at once.¡± PM Modi has called another meeting of all chief ministers on April 11 for consultations, after which the Centre could take a final decision on the lockdown. Several states have already indicated or made it official that even if the lockdown is lifted on April 14 there will be some restrictions in place.

Still, let us look at all possible scenarios in front of us.

1. April 15, lockdown lifted

The best-case scenario, for most of us who are stuck at home for all these while. Just imagine how good it was if everything went back to normal and we could get back our normal lives, going to the office, meeting friends and family going on a trip and much more? Shops will be open, buses, trains, and flights all will be up and running!

2. Lockdown is extended

Given how precarious the COVID-19 situation is right now, there is a high chance that the lockdown will continue. And depending upon which expert's opinion the government is going to go by, it could be anywhere between 2 weeks to 50 days.

3. Limited relaxation

This is the most ideal scenario now, as the lifting of the lockdown at one go could undo all the progress India has made so far. Since we have managed to contain community transmission and identified the hotspots of COVID-19, limiting the restrictions to those areas is a very likely possibility.

AFP

This means that there won't be a nationwide lockdown, but we can still prevent the spread at the same time to bring back normalcy to a certain extend. Public transport including buses, trains and flights will resume gradually and the markets will also open, giving some much-needed boost to the economy.