India is few days away when the third phase of lockdown ends on May 17. Citizens of India are worried about another lockdown extension. However, as per sources, the Government of India (GOI) is planning to give more relaxation and open the country in a phased manner. As per policymakers in the central government, India may draw up a negative list of activities that are prohibited in order to help ease the country out of the lockdown. The strategy is aimed at opening up a bigger share of the economy and preventing the kind of confusion that’s allowed district administrations to be more restrictive than intended.
Expected Lockdown Exit Strategy
1) A negative list will clearly spell out what’s not allowed, allowing other activities to resume. The list will include all activities that involve public gatherings.
“We need to have a negative list of five-six things and open up the rest completely, supply chains must fully work,” said a senior government official aware of the deliberations. The idea is to allow as much economic activity as possible with stringent sanitization and distancing norms, the official said.
2) Weekly bazaars as well as educational institutes to remain closed for sometime
3) Public transport is proposed to be opened with alternate seating, stringent distancing, and regular disinfecting. Air travel could also be allowed with vacant middle seats and proper sanitization
4) No gathering of more than 10 persons at the workplace and in public transport systems will be allowed
5) 40-minute gap between shifts in factories with proper sanitization to be carried out in this period
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6) Hand sanitizers will need to be placed in public places, on public transport and in government and private workplaces
However, all these points are speculations as per a policymaker in the government of India. A final call on the proposal will be taken close to May 15, two days before the lockdown is scheduled to end. India’s nationwide lockdown began on March 25 and has been extended to May 17. As per the official, "These ongoing restrictions by local administrations on businesses and industry are delaying the restart of the economy and hurting it, without functioning of complete supply chains some or the other sector will continue to face issues."
Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have been unable to restart operations because local administrations and factory inspectors haven’t allowed them to in some cases, apart from disruptions in raw material supply chains and lack of workers. Those who are looking to start operations are finding it hard to get workers located in red zones, for instance.