Bengaluru: The lockdown will not be lifted, in all probability. It will continue even after April 14. So it is imperative on the citizens to follow guidelines issued by the government and continue to stay home and wash hands frequently.  

Never in our lives had we imagined, even in our wildest dreams, that we would be facing a crisis like the one we are facing currently. 

The coronavirus pandemic has literally locked us up in our homes, bringing our lives to a screeching halt. 

Economy has been demolished, livelihoods have been destroyed. Millions of us are shattered, wondering as to how to reconstruct our lives. 

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The lockdown in India is still in vogue. In all probability, it will continue even after April 14 for a period, may be, a fortnight. 

Though we are all despondent as we have been caged in our domiciles, there is still some ray of hope as the worst is still yet to happen. 

Union health and family welfare minister Harsh Vardhan has assured Indians that India hasn’t faced the most volatile form of the virus. 

He said, "Measures like active screening, community surveillance, capacity building of ASHA workers and upgrading the health infrastructure have helped India reduce infection rate. An aggressive screening of people who travelled from other countries and following their contact history helped the government identify patients in good time.” 

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As regards the bad economy which has come as a result of the lockdown, former chief economic advisor Dr Virmani has this to say. He said, “If this lockdown is extended to the end of April, it will go up to 5 per cent; if it is extended to the end of May, it will be 9 per cent. The cost of this extreme lockdown will be much higher from April 15 onwards.”

2/3rds of our economy is facing a loss. That is really unbearable. But there is a way to deal with it as well. 

And that is the middle path. We need to have a combination of opening up of some sectors that are less susceptible to the virus and curtailing sectors and services that are more vulnerable. This is what experts opine. 

But having said all these things, the onus comes back on the citizens to keep the country safe. As the Union health minister said, the only potent vaccine available at this time to deal with the virus is to observe social distancing and lockdown meticulously. 

Thankfully, there is no confirmation that the spread can happen thru air, or in simple terms, airborne. So by maintaining sufficient distance, we will be thwarting any efforts by the droplets thru sneezing or cough from entering us. 

And, washing the hands frequently and thoroughly is the other panacea for the curbing of the virus spread. 

So let’s continue with maintaining hygiene and helping the government carrying out its measures in killing the virus spread. 

Stay home, stay safe!