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Unified in Coronavirus Lockdown, India Splinters Over Reopening Unified in Coronavirus Lockdown, India Splinters Over Reopening
(25 days later)
NEW DELHI — When the Indian government eased coronavirus restrictions last week, allowing many shops to reopen in rural parts of the country, Uday Shankar Sharma, a retail store owner in a small farming village, said he had no intention of complying.NEW DELHI — When the Indian government eased coronavirus restrictions last week, allowing many shops to reopen in rural parts of the country, Uday Shankar Sharma, a retail store owner in a small farming village, said he had no intention of complying.
Over the past few weeks, Mr. Sharma said fear had deepened in Sabna, where he lives in northern India. Community meetings held under a clock tower have stopped. Neighbors barely talk to each other. Streets are so silent that people can hear grasshoppers in the daytime.Over the past few weeks, Mr. Sharma said fear had deepened in Sabna, where he lives in northern India. Community meetings held under a clock tower have stopped. Neighbors barely talk to each other. Streets are so silent that people can hear grasshoppers in the daytime.
Mr. Sharma said resuming business was simply too dangerous right now, even though his district of more than three million people has only reported one case of the coronavirus.Mr. Sharma said resuming business was simply too dangerous right now, even though his district of more than three million people has only reported one case of the coronavirus.
“It is better to stay hungry than to get the coronavirus,” he said in a telephone interview. “Why should I risk the lives of my family members for a few hundred rupees?”“It is better to stay hungry than to get the coronavirus,” he said in a telephone interview. “Why should I risk the lives of my family members for a few hundred rupees?”
For five weeks, Indians of all stripes have united to zealously conduct a nationwide lockdown, the largest and one of the most severe anywhere. But as the central government has started lifting restrictions in areas with few or no known cases of the coronavirus, officials are now facing a new challenge: persuading fearful residents, and their leaders, to consider a partial reopening.For five weeks, Indians of all stripes have united to zealously conduct a nationwide lockdown, the largest and one of the most severe anywhere. But as the central government has started lifting restrictions in areas with few or no known cases of the coronavirus, officials are now facing a new challenge: persuading fearful residents, and their leaders, to consider a partial reopening.
By many measures, the nationwide lockdown imposed last month by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has helped blunt the spread of the coronavirus. India’s doubling rate for cases has slowed to around nine days, and though testing is still restricted, infections have remained relatively low for a nation of 1.3 billion, with nearly 30,000 confirmed cases and 900 deaths.By many measures, the nationwide lockdown imposed last month by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has helped blunt the spread of the coronavirus. India’s doubling rate for cases has slowed to around nine days, and though testing is still restricted, infections have remained relatively low for a nation of 1.3 billion, with nearly 30,000 confirmed cases and 900 deaths.
Last Monday, India took a step toward reviving the economy to “mitigate hardship to the public,” allowing construction, plantation work and some manufacturing to resume. By Friday, the central government had further eased restrictions, permitting many shops to reopen in rural parts of the country and outside hot spots, which have largely been traced to bigger cities like Mumbai and New Delhi.Last Monday, India took a step toward reviving the economy to “mitigate hardship to the public,” allowing construction, plantation work and some manufacturing to resume. By Friday, the central government had further eased restrictions, permitting many shops to reopen in rural parts of the country and outside hot spots, which have largely been traced to bigger cities like Mumbai and New Delhi.
[Update: As India loosens its strict lockdown, coronavirus deaths jump sharply.][Update: As India loosens its strict lockdown, coronavirus deaths jump sharply.]
But unlike the initial lockdown, which Indians widely endorsed despite the clear cost of shutting a country where around half the population lives on less than $3 a day, the lifting of restrictions has divided state leaders. They have some autonomy to set their own coronavirus guidelines as long as they are no less strict than those imposed by the central government.But unlike the initial lockdown, which Indians widely endorsed despite the clear cost of shutting a country where around half the population lives on less than $3 a day, the lifting of restrictions has divided state leaders. They have some autonomy to set their own coronavirus guidelines as long as they are no less strict than those imposed by the central government.
While critics of a prolonged shutdown in the United States, for instance, have often grounded arguments for reopening in notions of individual liberty, Indian officials have almost uniformly rallied around Mr. Modi’s framing of the pandemic as a collectively felt crisis that required cooperation at every rung of society.While critics of a prolonged shutdown in the United States, for instance, have often grounded arguments for reopening in notions of individual liberty, Indian officials have almost uniformly rallied around Mr. Modi’s framing of the pandemic as a collectively felt crisis that required cooperation at every rung of society.
Many embraced Mr. Modi’s order for a “total ban of coming out of your homes,” heeding his directives to police one another and fight the virus like a “dedicated soldier.”Many embraced Mr. Modi’s order for a “total ban of coming out of your homes,” heeding his directives to police one another and fight the virus like a “dedicated soldier.”
But as India’s economy suffers, the consensus has started to fray.But as India’s economy suffers, the consensus has started to fray.
After lockdown measures were eased last week, the states of Kerala and Gujarat were among those that planned to move forward with reopening shops. Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and Maharashtra indicated that they would keep businesses shut until at least May 3, when Mr. Modi will decide whether to extend the lockdown or let it expire. Other states barely said anything.After lockdown measures were eased last week, the states of Kerala and Gujarat were among those that planned to move forward with reopening shops. Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and Maharashtra indicated that they would keep businesses shut until at least May 3, when Mr. Modi will decide whether to extend the lockdown or let it expire. Other states barely said anything.
Crafting enforceable orders is challenging in a country as diverse and fragmented as India, with nearly two dozen official languages and vast cultural chasms across states and even neighboring villages. The cryptic nature of the government’s news releases has not helped.Crafting enforceable orders is challenging in a country as diverse and fragmented as India, with nearly two dozen official languages and vast cultural chasms across states and even neighboring villages. The cryptic nature of the government’s news releases has not helped.
After announcing that many shops selling nonessential items could reopen late Friday, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued multiple corrections over the next 24 hours. On Twitter, Vasudha Gupta, a ministry spokeswoman, revised an earlier announcement that “ALL shops” outside municipalities could reopen by exempting liquor stores, then restaurants, then salons.After announcing that many shops selling nonessential items could reopen late Friday, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued multiple corrections over the next 24 hours. On Twitter, Vasudha Gupta, a ministry spokeswoman, revised an earlier announcement that “ALL shops” outside municipalities could reopen by exempting liquor stores, then restaurants, then salons.
The Confederation of All India Traders, a group that represents small retailers, urged the government to clarify even further. Over the weekend, the group said it expected millions of businesses to open nationwide, but only a few had been successful.The Confederation of All India Traders, a group that represents small retailers, urged the government to clarify even further. Over the weekend, the group said it expected millions of businesses to open nationwide, but only a few had been successful.
“There is lack of consensus among the administration and law enforcing agencies with the result that traders are not allowed to open the shops,” the group said in a statement.“There is lack of consensus among the administration and law enforcing agencies with the result that traders are not allowed to open the shops,” the group said in a statement.
In the southern state of Karnataka, Subhash Chandra, the managing director of Sangeetha Mobiles, told the Economic Times that nearly half of the chain’s 260 outlets had reopened on Sunday only to be promptly shut by the local police.In the southern state of Karnataka, Subhash Chandra, the managing director of Sangeetha Mobiles, told the Economic Times that nearly half of the chain’s 260 outlets had reopened on Sunday only to be promptly shut by the local police.
Even business owners who faced fewer roadblocks in resuming operations said supply chain wrinkles had made it nearly impossible to complete most of their work.Even business owners who faced fewer roadblocks in resuming operations said supply chain wrinkles had made it nearly impossible to complete most of their work.
After Mr. Modi announced the lockdown on March 24, migrant workers typically hired for construction jobs left cities for their home villages, some of them hundreds of miles away. With train and bus service suspended, they have no easy way to return.After Mr. Modi announced the lockdown on March 24, migrant workers typically hired for construction jobs left cities for their home villages, some of them hundreds of miles away. With train and bus service suspended, they have no easy way to return.
Mukesh Goel, a government official who oversees construction projects in the state of Punjab, said his office reopened last week with a “skeleton crew” and no business.Mukesh Goel, a government official who oversees construction projects in the state of Punjab, said his office reopened last week with a “skeleton crew” and no business.
“We are trying to find a way to fully resume work, but it doesn’t seem likely anytime soon,” he said. “We need machinery, labor that is almost impossible to get at the moment.”“We are trying to find a way to fully resume work, but it doesn’t seem likely anytime soon,” he said. “We need machinery, labor that is almost impossible to get at the moment.”
Arunoday Singh Parawar, a social worker in the state of Madhya Pradesh, said skepticism to reopen went beyond fears of the coronavirus.Arunoday Singh Parawar, a social worker in the state of Madhya Pradesh, said skepticism to reopen went beyond fears of the coronavirus.
In Chhatarpur, the town where he lives, local leaders have imposed harsher restrictions than most by allowing food shops to open only on alternate days, even though the area has been mostly unaffected by the coronavirus.In Chhatarpur, the town where he lives, local leaders have imposed harsher restrictions than most by allowing food shops to open only on alternate days, even though the area has been mostly unaffected by the coronavirus.
Mr. Parawar said the reason was simple: Officials feared that if they eased restrictions too soon, or by too much, they risked the ability to reimpose coronavirus rules and persuade millions of people, many of them without a formal education, to return to a life indoors.Mr. Parawar said the reason was simple: Officials feared that if they eased restrictions too soon, or by too much, they risked the ability to reimpose coronavirus rules and persuade millions of people, many of them without a formal education, to return to a life indoors.
Updated June 1, 2020
Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home.
States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
More than 40 million people — the equivalent of 1 in 4 U.S. workers — have filed for unemployment benefits since the pandemic took hold. One in five who were working in February reported losing a job or being furloughed in March or the beginning of April, data from a Federal Reserve survey released on May 14 showed, and that pain was highly concentrated among low earners. Fully 39 percent of former workers living in a household earning $40,000 or less lost work, compared with 13 percent in those making more than $100,000, a Fed official said.
Yes, but make sure you keep six feet of distance between you and people who don’t live in your home. Even if you just hang out in a park, rather than go for a jog or a walk, getting some fresh air, and hopefully sunshine, is a good idea.
Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications.
The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing.
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested.
Charity Navigator, which evaluates charities using a numbers-based system, has a running list of nonprofits working in communities affected by the outbreak. You can give blood through the American Red Cross, and World Central Kitchen has stepped in to distribute meals in major cities.
“They do not want to lose control of the public,” he said.“They do not want to lose control of the public,” he said.
Still, economists say an indefinite lockdown is hardly sustainable. With so many Indians out of work, the country’s public distribution system, which provides food and other handouts to hundreds of millions of people, has been severely stressed.Still, economists say an indefinite lockdown is hardly sustainable. With so many Indians out of work, the country’s public distribution system, which provides food and other handouts to hundreds of millions of people, has been severely stressed.
And in remote areas of the country, the authorities have sometimes used force to keep people inside, making it difficult to reach markets and ration shops.And in remote areas of the country, the authorities have sometimes used force to keep people inside, making it difficult to reach markets and ration shops.
Nazia Errum, a widow who supports three children as a seamstress, said the police have beaten people for trying to leave their homes in the village of Hajipara, where she lives in the northeastern state of Assam. With no work for a month, Ms. Errum feared that her family would starve if the lockdown continued.Nazia Errum, a widow who supports three children as a seamstress, said the police have beaten people for trying to leave their homes in the village of Hajipara, where she lives in the northeastern state of Assam. With no work for a month, Ms. Errum feared that her family would starve if the lockdown continued.
“When you can’t step out of your house for a minute, how will you earn?” she said. “We have been eating rice only once a day instead of three because we don’t know what will happen tomorrow. We are terrified.”“When you can’t step out of your house for a minute, how will you earn?” she said. “We have been eating rice only once a day instead of three because we don’t know what will happen tomorrow. We are terrified.”
In India’s largest state, Uttar Pradesh, state leaders have already indicated that they will not implement the central government’s loosening of restrictions. In Sabna, a community of farmers, Rajesh Kumar Jaiswal, the village’s leader, said changing people’s psychology was one of the biggest stumbling blocks to reopening.In India’s largest state, Uttar Pradesh, state leaders have already indicated that they will not implement the central government’s loosening of restrictions. In Sabna, a community of farmers, Rajesh Kumar Jaiswal, the village’s leader, said changing people’s psychology was one of the biggest stumbling blocks to reopening.
“People have developed a habit of following restrictions,” he said. “Even if the government eases them, would people come out? No one is gathering.”“People have developed a habit of following restrictions,” he said. “Even if the government eases them, would people come out? No one is gathering.”
Mr. Sharma, the small business owner, said he had tentatively opened his shop on Sunday so that people could buy dry goods and home hardware products.Mr. Sharma, the small business owner, said he had tentatively opened his shop on Sunday so that people could buy dry goods and home hardware products.
But within a few hours, he had shut it again, fearing that he might endanger the village and become a pariah if somebody got sick.But within a few hours, he had shut it again, fearing that he might endanger the village and become a pariah if somebody got sick.
For now, he said, stores would stay closed.For now, he said, stores would stay closed.
“Those who outlive this will remember a time when people had an opportunity to earn money, but they feared the very people who would give them the currency note,” he said.“Those who outlive this will remember a time when people had an opportunity to earn money, but they feared the very people who would give them the currency note,” he said.