Pandemic far from over: Experts warn Bengalureans as restrictions ease

As of Monday, several restrictions which were placed during lockdown were revised and people were allowed to go outside in Bengaluru.
Bengaluru liquor stall
Bengaluru liquor stall

Monday morning began with several Bengaluru residents lining up outside liquor shops and other establishments which had been shut down in view of the lockdown. People in the city have been allowed to travel in private transport between 7 am to 7 pm. However, even as certain aspects of life are staggering to normalcy, experts have warned that people must behave with caution to avoid further escalation of COVID-19 in the city.

“The same measures which were advised during lockdown should continue to be practiced now. When going outside, people have to wear a mask and practice social distancing. Overcrowding of public spaces will only pose a risk of a sudden surge in cases,” explains Dr V Ravi, a senior neuro-virologist from National Institute of Mental Health Sciences (NIMHANS), who is a part of the core committee handling the coronavirus pandemic in Bengaluru.

“Though many shops yesterday had mandated social distancing, there were several places where this was not followed. People must remain aware that we aren’t done with the pandemic just because some of the rules have been lifted,” he adds.

Officials have also advised people to follow all the personal hygiene measures which have been in place during lockdown and have stated that people stay home unless absolutely necessary. Experts have also stated that masks or face covers should be used when going outside and should not be removed while outdoors, especially when speaking to others.

“Elderly people, young children, pregnant women and other such vulnerable individuals especially need to take some precautions to ensure that they don’t fall sick. If anyone does fall sick, they should isolate themselves at home and not go out. If they find that they are not improving then they should visit a hospital as per the protocols,” adds Dr Nagaraj, director of the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases in Bengaluru.

“We saw many public spaces being overcrowded with individuals as some rules were eased on Monday, this is really alarming and can possibly give way for further spread of the infection to other individuals,” he says, drawing attention to what transpired in Singapore.

At the start of the pandemic, Singapore was praised for its quick handling of cases. Officials in the city had aggressively identified and isolated individuals who were found to be positive. Contact tracing was also extensively done. All this ensured that hardly 600 cases were reported throughout the beginning of April. However, though clusters were quickly identified and contained, schools remained open and the economy was also functioning. This led to a surge of cases being reported, with Singapore confirming over 17,000 positive cases by the end of April. A strict lockdown has been since imposed in the country.

Moreover, with India set to bring back citizens stuck outside of the country from May 7 onwards, and the lockdown regulations being lifted, experts are stressing the importance of following strict precautionary measures. Citizens stranded abroad will be brought back via aircraft and naval ships in a “phased manner”. Bengaluru is expected to see a big influx of people from abroad.

“We aren’t out of the threat of the pandemic quite yet. The decision to lift lockdown in some areas has been taken after much consideration. In order to make sure that case load remains low, people should maintain the same level of vigilance. Stay home and stay safe, don’t go out unless absolutely necessary,” adds Dr Nagaraj.

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