Kerala: Total lockdown should have been declared earlier, HC's orders to relieve people's distress

The nine-day total lockdown, which has come into force from this Saturday, has been welcomed by one and all. It has been put in place as the partial lockdown has failed to prevent a deterioration in the covid situation.

But there is a perception that the total lockdown decision should have come earlier. The ideal time to go in for it was when the daily covid cases tally went beyond the 5,000 mark. The result of the delay is there for all to see: the situation has worsened to such an extent that on Thursday, May 6, Kerala reported 42, 464 new covid cases and 63 deaths – the highest tally to-date. The state now has 3.9 lakh active cases. And experts say that the curve may not have peaked.

There is another school of thought which was against clamping total lockdown earlier. They say the decision to go in for only a partial lockdown was okay. A complete lockdown earlier would have deepened the economic distress of the people, who are already reeling under the impact of severe restrictions. The problem was the shocking refusal of a section of the people to comply with the covid protocol even in the face of a frightening spike in covid cases and the failure of the police to take deterrent action. That the police force erred in its judgment is clear from the fact that the complete lockdown decision has come after the force’s admission that a partial lockdown would not serve the purpose.

The highest number of daily cases has been reported from Ernakulam and Kozhikode districts. The serious situation has forced the government to close the Ernakulam border. The district reported over 6,000 cases for two days. Kozhikode came a close second with as many as 5,700 cases the other day. How bad is the situation in Ernakulam district can be gauged from the fact that eight panchayats in the district have reported test positivity rates above 50 per cent! Chellanam, a region which is highly vulnerable to the threat of sea erosion, has recorded the highest – 56. 27 per cent.

As per the strict restrictions which will be in force till May 16 health-related services, including hospitals, laboratories, clinics and medical shops will be allowed to function. All road and waterway transport will remain suspended. Air and train services(except metro) will, however, be operational. Restaurants will be allowed home delivery services. Wayside eateries will not be allowed to operate. Delivery of food through ‘janakiya (people’s) hotels will be arranged for those in need of it. In places where such hotels are not available, community kitchens will be started by Local Self-Government bodies. Shops, including ration shops, dealing with food, groceries, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, meat and fish, animal fodder, poultry and cattle feed and bakeries have been exempted from restrictions. All shops will have to be closed by 7.30 pm.

The lockdown will also see the deployment of 25,000 police personnel for surveillance duty and orders for seizing all unauthorized private vehicles. Plying of private vehicles will be allowed only for procuring essential commodities, medicines and other permitted activities. All places of worship will be closed for public and there is a ban on all social, political and religious gatherings. Banks are allowed to function for three days a week with minimal staff from 10 am to 1 pm. For pre-fixed marriages, a maximum of 20 people will be permitted. The nearest police station needs to be informed in advance. Not more than 20 persons can attend funerals either. Self-declaration forms have been made compulsory for emergency travel during lockdown.

Meanwhile, the courts are playing a proactive in alleviating the peoples’ misery. The Kerala High Court, for instance has praised the state government for reducing the charge for RT-PCR tests from Rs 1,700 to Rs 500.The court refused to grant a stay on the order of the state government, observing that, prima facie, it appears that the order has been issued after conducting a market study and survey through the Kerala Medical Services Corporation (KMSCL). The court said it is clear from the government’s statement that the cost of the RT-PCR test, including swab collection, would only be Rs 135-240.The rate in Punjab is only Rs 415, while it is Rs 500 in Maharashtra, Haryana and Uttarakhand.

The High Court also directed the Centre to inform it when there would be a meaningful solution to the vaccine shortage and also how and when the vaccines requested by the state government can be made available. There is a fear, the court observed, that there is no vaccine. Crowding at vaccination centres should be avoided at any cost as this could turn into super-spread occasions, the court observed, directing the police chief to prevent overcrowding in centres. The overcrowding has happened because of the failure of the officials of the vaccination centres to inform the people sufficiently in advance on vaccination dates. The HC order came on a petition seeking a directive to the Centre to bring the Covid vaccines under the ambit of the Drugs(Prices Control) Order and allocate sufficient funds to the state governments for procuring vaccines.

The HC has also asked the state government to regulate the prices charged by private hospitals and clinics for PPE kits and oxygen to prevent fleecing of covid patients and their relatives. It further suggested that the Government take over 50 per cent of the beds of all private hospitals for treatment of covid patients. Another suggestion was to set up a common toll-free number to enable covid patients to seek medical assistance and information on available hospital beds with oxygen and ventilator support. The court order followed receipt of several complaints about overcharging by private hospitals along with copies of bills.

Last but not the least, several instances of heart-warming humanitarian gestures have come to light. An elderly woman in the Kerala capital has been playing the good samaritan by distributing food packets to police personnel on covid duty. The woman, however, refused to share her personal details. Reports have it that it is not the first time the grandma has ventured to help the needy people. In another instance which showed that the spirit of humanity is very much alive, a covid patient was shifted to hospital on a two-wheeler in Alappuzha. A video of the two youths, one of them a woman, wearing PPE kits taking the sinking the patient on the motorcycle to the hospital has gone viral on social media. Aswin Kunjumon and Rekha, who took the patient to hospital on the bike, are DYFI activists. They did what they did after realizing that the ambulance would be delayed by a few minutes. Their timely intervention saved the life of the man whose condition was rapidly deteriorating.

(IPA Service)

Views are personal