- With BIG Spike of COVID-19 Cases in DK, People Still Don’t Care to follow Lockdown Guidelines. And the lockdown which is going to start from tomorrow (16 July) until 23 July will not help in any way as planned by the netas and district officials. Lockdown or no-lockdown, if you look around the City, for the last few days, especially prior to the forthcoming lockdown, the stores/shops are stormed with people were social distancing has gone for a toss, and even many are seen without face masks or face masks worn below their chin or around the neck. So, what’s the point in having a lockdown for a week, and then allow the people to roam freely without face masks and disobey social distancing. I would support the lockdown if the authorities plan it the right way- just by sitting inside the office and implement it, and not stepping out on the streets by not monitoring or supervising the movement of the people/motorists, the short lockdown will be useless!
- It was like a Jathra today, especially during evening time, where people were seen storming the grocery stores/fruit/veg shops/liquor stores, to buy their required essentials, like the world is going to end by tomorrow- and even there was a traffic jam – and no district officials nor the cops were seen to take care of the situation. And that was the scene a day before the BIG lockdown starting tomorrow. Team Mangalorean asked a few educated and sensible citizens of Mangaluru, about their opinion on lockdown- and this is what they said, “Totally Nonsense”; “What actually is a lockdown, the way we have seen in the past?”; “This lockdown is nothing but a political stunt, and zero results”.
- Regarding social distancing, looks like our citizens are following in the footsteps of their elected leaders who are seen always flouting the norms. Frankly speaking, Lockdowns are of very little help unless they are used to ramp up the infrastructure together with increased rates of testing and better quarantining. This is particularly true of the short-term lockdowns we are seeing now, other than that, NO POSITIVE RESULTS!
Mangaluru: With the increase of COVID-19 cases in the state, Chief Minister Yediyuraqppa seems to be upset with the handling of the pandemic by the bureaucracy in the state. The CM is upset with severe shortcomings in decision-making by the officials on the ground in charge of handling the pandemic. And for that matter, the same has been the case in our District Administration, Mangaluru City Corporation, and the concerned authorities, how they have been handling the pandemic. Sitting inside the comfort of their office, and issuing orders to the public to do this and don’t do that, will not serve the purpose, and it has never been. Our Netas and authorities are only IMPLEMENTING the rules/guidelines, but they are NOT ENFORCING them.
Last evening (14 July), I was at the Apple Supermarket, near City Hospital, Kadri in the City, to buy two items- Doritos chips and a pack of Milk, and I had to brush against the bodies of other customers inside the store-since it was packed with customers, and social distancing not maintained whatsoever. Even though the store has been kind enough in providing disposable gloves, and sanitizer while you enter, the management has totally ignored about maintaining social distancing of their clients when they are inside the store. Similarly has been the case at a few other grocery stores and supermarkets in the City, where social distancing is totally abused. The scene of people shopping at Kadri Market, seemed like Coronavirus has completely disappeared, and there was no need to wear a face mask or follow social distancing.
This experience and observation during lockdown is not only of mine but read what CA Sunil Gonsalves from Arya Samaj road, Mangaluru has to say, “Whoever advocated Lockdown should visit few minor supermarkets and Markets to see the rush and Panic Buying. I wouldn’t be surprised at the end of seven days of lockdown if all these people buying various items end up being sick. From morning to evening there has been a crowd at Markets, Medical Stores, liquor shops, Snack Stores etc. The aim should be to reduce crowding and increase social distancing, but we see here now is just the opposite happening. People migrating out of Bengaluru in hoards are going to create positives in lesser infected areas. The admins and decision-makers should be made to go and stay in the markets for an hour and see the terrible situations. The decisions are knee jerk reactions”.
Thirsty Tipplers flouting Social Distance norms at Liquor Shops-Cheers to Lockdown?
Initially, during the First pre and post lockdown, we saw citizens and business owners adhering to the guidelines, in practising social distancing, compulsory wearing a face mask- and businesses were providing sanitizer bottles at the entrance, and were also doing temperature check. However, if you go around the City, you’ll be surprised to see a bunch of restaurants, grocery stores, liquor shops, fruits/veg shops among other businesses, do not have sanitizer bottles or they do temperature checks. Inside the restaurants, you can see customers sitting close to each other, or at liquor or grocery/essential items shops, no social distancing is followed- and the business owners give a damn about it, as far as they earn their income. The city buses are packed during peak hours, thereby disobeying social distancing norms- so what’s the solution to stop it. Either stop bus service or penalize the bus crew and violators, both!
Chai Pe Charcha…Scenes inside restaurants where Social Distancing has gone for a toss
Even the delivery boys of Zomato, Swiggy etc are seen sitting close to each other browsing WhatsApp on their mobile phones, many are without face masks. How come the district officials have turned a blind eye against such careless issues. Just by enforcing a lockdown will not serve any purpose when you let people disobey pandemic guidelines during the relaxed lockdown. Also, the district admin has not taken any preventive measures of the spread of the Virus from the hundreds of migrants, destitute, homeless who gather in masses near the Town Hall/State Bank bus stand and in that vicinity, who violate the safety measures of COVID-19. Hardly any of them follow social distancing nor wear face masks. How would they buy face masks when they are without money. Many are without food, and the admin has done nothing about it- if not for the kind service of Mrs Corinne Rasquinha-the Founder of White Doves, who has fed them all these days, many would have died of starvation. Has anyone from the Dist. admin or MCC thought of these homeless Human Beings, lacking shelter and food- and on the forefront of spreading the Virus, with no safety gear/measures.
Zomato & Swiggy Boys have totally forgotten about Social Distancing and to wear face masks?
As of Monday, Karnataka had registered 2,738 new Covid-19 cases with the majority of the cases emerging from Bengaluru, breaching the 40,000 mark for the state’s tally to settle at 41,581 even as 73 people succumbed to the virus, and while in Dakshina Kannada, which includes Mangaluru, on Monday 13 July, 131 cases and four deaths were reported. As per the district health bulletin, a total of 24,950 samples have been sent for tests so far. As many as 22,589 have turned out negative, and 2,361 are positive till date. Out of these, 1,467 cases are currently active. As many as 844 persons have recovered and been discharged, and 50 deaths have occurred so far, including four on Monday.
Doesn’t it sound scary, when you look at the rise in numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths? And what have district authorities, netas, MLA’s done in preventing such COVID cases rising daily, other than having meetings and sending circulars/orders instructing people to obey them? These authorities should be on the streets daily, and meet citizens face to face, and punish the violators of COVID-19 guidelines. It is so funny, that our new MCC Mayor for the first time after assuming his office, hit the City streets a few days ago, and cracked down on those who were not wearing face masks. Guess, it was only for a day because after that the Mayor is out of action?
Is this what you call Social Distancing while buying essentials/fruits/veggies?
Similarly has been the case of our MCC health dept officials and other MCC crew, who are hardly seen on the streets in order to crack down on COVID rules violators, nor they visit the businesses who are flouting the COVID rules. Their action during this pandemic when we are seeing numerous COVID cases is a must, but unfortunately, that’s not happening. Doing checks once or twice a week is not enough, they have to be out of their offices, and go around the City in order to contain the Virus, and slap hefty fines on people who abuse social distancing or don’t wear a face mask. Just by imposing a lockdown and sitting idle without taking any action, while the Virus is spreading enormously is nothing but Carelessness and Negligence.
While there is a rise in COVID-19 cases in DK, Deputy commissioner Sindhu B Rupesh had said that the district administration is currently working on tracing contacts. “Contact tracing teams are engaged in finding out the source of infection. There has been a rise in cases during the last few days. We are taking time, but contact tracing is being done. More than 10 community medicine interns from various medical colleges have been roped in to help in the process of identifying how the patients got infected. Contact tracing is done by the district surveillance unit led by the district surveillance officer. We have our own doctors who run it and are assisted by interns. They will take up individual cases, prepare a flow chart, and find out the likely cause of infection in a patient. This report will be presented to the technical team of the state government”. That would be a good move by the admin, but imposing short lockdowns is senseless and useless, according to me and many others, to be frank!
While the lockdown is planned now, City entrepreneur Sumit Rao has said that the lockdown will not serve the purpose as community spread is on, and only self-discipline will help. “In the interest of humanity, our leaders or officials should not have asked for a lockdown. Lockdown is not going to stop the spread of COVID19. It is already in the community and community spread cannot be stopped by the lockdown. In fact, this whole COVID19 is a farce. And the increase of death toll of COVID victims is less than the deaths due to accidents suicide fever Aids cancer tuberculosis malaria measles individually taken”
“So why such a fuss. In the name of humanity take some good expert advice. Let us live normally. Let us be careful. Let us encourage home quarantine. Let us save money. Otherwise, all of us will die out of economic crises. I appeal to you all to fight against lockdown. Not for lockdown. Hope you have the interest of humanity more than any party politics. Hope my message will reach the authorities concerned with the work of enforcing lockdowns, including the press, ministers, district officers and others” added Sumit Rao. (Ref: On Your Mark, Get, Set..For Lockdown or NO Lockdown! Before Verdict is Out Stock Up on Food )
In conclusion, in my perspective, “Tomorrow’s Short duration lockdown being implemented by politicians and dist admin officials is barely of any use to curb the growth of COVID-19, while observing the modelling the pandemic’s progression in DK. A periodically imposed short-term lockdowns could only help reduce infection rates but it would only delay the peak, rather than breaking the virus’s transmission chain. It may help space out the infections and hospitalizations a bit, but the only solution to contain the infections and reduce deaths is to massively ramp up testing rates, do extensive contact tracing and quarantining”. (Ref: Is Lockdown Ever Going to End? It has not ‘KILLED’ the VIRUS & Possibly We’ll have to LIVE with COVID-19 until 2022)
In the absence of these measures, it’s extremely unlikely that one-time short-term lockdowns will have even noticeable effect on the trajectories of the total infections/active cases.impacts of a lockdown can’t be simulated accurately because how the people would comply with the norms is an unknown variable. The same is also true for enforcement of the norms by local administrations. No doubt, these lockdowns have very limited purposes, for sure. Lockdowns by themselves are of very little help unless they are used to ramp up the infrastructure together with increased rates of testing and better quarantining. This is particularly true of the short-term lockdowns we are seeing now. Anyways, let’s keep our fingers crossed and watch what difference would the seven-day lockdown make- will it reduce the Covid-19 cases and deaths or be just the opposite?
Intellectual and intelligent people of Mangalore!? We are called SO