Dr. Balram Bhargava, Head of Indian Council of MedicalResearch (ICMR) claims that in every district of the nation where the test-positivityrate does not fall below 10% must maintain lockdown restrictions.
India has 718 districts and about three-fourths of them havetest-positivity rate more than 10%. Major cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, andBengaluru have rate above the threshold.
These comments by Dr. Bhargava are the first publicendorsement of lockdowns as a measure to contain the spread of the pandemic bya senior government official.
While PM Modi is resisting a nation-wide lockdown with the adviceto state CMs to consider state-wide lockdown only as a last resort, most of thestates have chosen to implement full or partial lockdown.
Implemented on a weekly or fortnightly basis, these areexpected to continue if the COVID situation in a state does not improve.
Talking about the national capital Delhi, which has atest-positivity rate of 17%, he said, "If Delhi is opened tomorrow, itwill be a disaster."
The situation of India is grim with the nation witnessingabout 3,50,000 new COVID infection cases and 4,000 deaths due to the same everyday.
Oxygen and medicine shortages are nightmares that almostevery COVID patient is having to live day in and day out.
The last rites infrastructure is overwhelmed and there doesnot seem any light at the end of COVID second wave tunnel.
Pertinently, Modi government mismanaged COVID. Someinstances include giving away vaccines to other nations and not forbidding areligious gathering (Kumbh Mela of Hindus) .
Regarding the issue of Modi government, the doctor did notcriticize the government but had reservations about delay, "I think theonly discontent we have was there was a slight delay accepting the 10%(recommendation), but that did happen."
The delay he is talking about is the National Task Force onCOVID-19 recommending to the central government to lock down areas with atest-positivity rate of 10% of more.
The central government’s immense reluctance for anation-wide lockdown is apparent from the Home (Interior) ministry askingstates for strict restrictions for "large containment areas" inhard-hit districts for 14 days.
Regarding the mass gatherings at political rallies orreligious functions, he claimed that same should not be acceptable in India or anywherein the world, "It’s common sense."