Last year, in the month of March, the government of India declared a complete lockdown to sustain the spread of the Corona virus. While some of us were getting bored at home, the rest of the country was suffering. However, this year the scenario is completely different. Things have gotten really punishing. The numbers have gotten worst and the overall condition of our country has given us anxiety about the future of this land.
In this article, let us talk about the lives we are living for the last fourteen months. I have collected some information to discuss the differences and the similarities between the lockdown that took place in 2020 and the one that is happening now. In addition to that, the article also explores how and what is responsible for the current catastrophic condition of our country.
The number of Positive Cases when lockdown began:
In 2020, when the first lockdown was declared there were around 270 Covid 19 positive cases. About 65 new cases were noted every day. Community transmission was negligible. The lockdown was quite successful. India was praised for controlling such a gigantic population so well.
Things began to take a turn from ‘bad to worst’ during February this year as a number of cases started vigorously growing. There were almost 54,000 new cases every day. The country broke the record of maximum death in a day in the entire year with more than 450 deaths in a day. The news channels were flooded with pictures of the crematorium being over flooded with the demised bodies. Not people from all classes could afford the cremation charges hence they had to give up the body of their loved one without putting them down for the last time.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/coronavirus-india-live-updates-7326468/
The Economy of the country post lockdown:
The economy of our country has suffered extremely. Last year’s lockdown has an adverse effect on the economy of our country. For a span of 60 days very little or no new income was generated as everything was closed, ports were shut and exchange of commodity was prohibited. However, this year both public and private companies are much more efficient to conduct work from home. Grocery stores and markets are opened for only 3 hours this year while last year it was a total of 5 hours.
Alcohol has a pretty large market in India. It has a huge impact n the GDP which is allowed to open in this lockdown but at the beginning of last year, alcohol shops were prohibited from opening. Last year, all necessary items including rice, dal, and toiletries were supplied to the daily wage earners by the government. But this year due to the fall of the economy the government did not provide so many things but only the basic rice and dal. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/one-year-of-covid-lockdown-how-indian-economy-dealt-with-the-virus/articleshow/81666829.cms#
Public Health Care System:
The public health care system in India has never been praiseworthy but what we experienced in the last three months has wrenched our guts. Last year the condition was bad, patients were sharing beds, doctors, and nurses, but this year the entire scenario is devastating. This year people are not only sharing beds, doctors, and nurses but also oxygen machines, food, and water. There are barely any ambulance available nor anybody to actually call out for help. Patients literary have to wait in line for hours and hours for getting admission or even for getting tested.
Prices of oxygen cylinders and certain medicines have reached as high as Rs. 50,000. People have been left on the streets to die. There is nobody who cares and no one to hear us, cry with us or help us out. There are barely any slots ever available for vaccines. People are not been given their second dozes due to the shortage of vaccines in your country.
The most imporatant question of all is why was this not interpreted?
Despite knowing all the drawbacks of our country how could the Government of India allow Holi and Kumbh Mela to be celebrated or even host so many political rallies?
