Is Visakhapatnam heading towards another lockdown?

Fear is gripping Vizagites due to various forwarded WhatsApp messages. There are talks about a temporary lockdown in Visakhapatnam. While from a national perspective, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has clearly stated that a nationwide lockdown should be only a last resort. The situation in the city has turned worse as three out of five houses are having a Covid-19 patient in either symptomatic or asymptomatic conditions. “The situation is so worrying that we have covid patients who are under home isolation, residing in our apartment. But they have been informing us about their condition only after a few days of isolation, “ said Kusuma, Resident of Maddilapalem.

The month of April has seen a tremendous rise in the Covid-19 numbers in Visakhapatnam. Here is a consolidated list of Covid-19 positive cases throughout the month of April:

1 April: 189
2 April: 191
3 April: 198
4 April: 235
5 April: 222
6 April: 258
7 April: 298
8 April: 290
9 April: 335
10 April: 391
11 April: 405
12 April: 454
13 April: 414
14 April: 417
15 April: 432
16 April: 489
17 April: 470
18 April: 551
19 April: 565
20 April: 675
21 April: 810
22 April: 844
23 April: 910
24 April: 947
25 April: 1,051
26 April: 1,030
27 April: 1,067
———————–
Total 14,138 cases

Do we need stronger reasons to stay indoors? Whether Visakhapatnam heads towards lockdown or not, it is quite essential that we realise the predicament we find ourselves in. While staying at home all day might be difficult, it is the safest option right now.

On Tuesday, new cases were registered in Vizag, while the number reached 9,881 in Andhra Pradesh. In a recent release, by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the states were told to gear up on strict measures to be implemented in the cities to control the spread of the virus for 14 days. Concerned officials in different sectors were told to form teams to implement intensive, local and focused containment framework.

With the Covid-19 situation in Visakhapatnam becoming grimmer with every passing day, the possibility of a second full lockdown looms around and that has people worried. Their struggles from last time around have made people realise that they need to be prepared. Meanwhile, people in the city are rushing to market areas and grocery stores to stock up on essential goods for a few weeks. Even the grocery store owners are urging the customers to buy necessary food, which is making them even more worried. On Tuesday, a rush was witnessed in rythu bazars and grocery stores with people stocking up things. There are also many individuals who are going for home delivery, so as to stay safe at home.

“We have been hearing about lockdown situations coming to Visakhapatnam, so it is better to stock up groceries. Even if it’s a lockdown, we cannot go out within the government allocated timings, when there would be rush”
– Geetha, resident of Kirlampudi Layout.

“We feel like the situation is the same as it was last year. Currently, most of the shops are closing their business by 2 pm. It would be the same even if there is any curfew. Meanwhile, we are also going for home delivery so that our customers need not come out or we are asking to call us before so that we can pack the things and keep ready”.
– Satyanarayana, who owns a grocery store at Chinna Waltair.

While it’s natural to panic in moments like these, let’s remember that we have fought this virus before. It was hard and painful for many but we have to strive to fight this virus again. We have to be more cautious, understand the gravity of the situation and avoid stepping outside of our homes. And if we absolutely have to go out, we should always wear a mask.