And the alcohol stores opened after 40+ days for a day and a half and crowds thronged! And then before you knew it- it was banned again- along with all other shops(excepts ‘essentials’.)

Covid-numbers increased , we were told. Social distancing wasn’t kept. How can there be crowds? 40+ days – so what?! Ban everything. Shut everything. And sure, that might seem an approach… but it’s kind of like the Ostrich approach– what I don’t know , is not scary. It makes NO SENSE!

By shutting all stores, you disallow people to get out to buy a bulb, when the lights are fused; to hire a plumber or an electrician and start their earnings again and help the person staying at home. Electricians could come, but should they need any wiring, fuses etc…. well that’s tough cos stores are shut! E-commerce stores are also disallowed from sending these items! I have tried to book a standing broom for weeks as I have a slipped disc , but guess what, that’s not an ‘essential’ item. I can book a regular broom(jhadu) though. I have that. I’m just in pain bending. Too bad!

And with regards to essentials, who decided what milk or coffee or cooking oil would be essential and which others would not. What if my tastes differ… well then tough!

And here’s my actual issue- whenever the city opens or the country opens, THE numbers will rise. They will rise because there are several asymptomatic carriers that may pass it on to people who will exhibit symptoms. We will then check and then we’ll know and quarantine.

This will happen if we open up today, the 18th or even next year.

This is not a virus that’s going anywhere in a hurry.

What we’re going to have to adapt to is the new normal- where we keep clean and healthy and maintain a decent amount of social distancing.

By shutting stores for another 2 weeks – you are just postponing the inevitable without any solution.

Let’s put it this way, if the stores hadn’t been shut- essentials, non essentials- you wouldn’t have hoarding and crowding. We should have established new buying norms i.e. perhaps having people call in with orders and then calling them to pick it up only when ready- in our grocers/ non -essential stores or employing delivery services to help with delivery to avoid lines and queues. Or allowing e- commerce companies to help in delivering items.

But by not allowing shops to function we’re just pretending to not have a problem- a problem we definitely have. What’s going to happen when the city opens up? I for one am going to stock up on bulbs just in fear that the shops after opening for 1 day may shut again and I won’t have light! And that’s what we’re all going to do.

And the numbers will go up when we get out. And then there will be more needed to be treated. But with that, more will develop antibodies and immunity to the disease.

But we will be back at work. Back uplifting the economy. Because by hiding at home if it’s not fear that’ll kill us , it’s the fact that we will run out – of supplies, of food and finally of money!

P.s.( Palat says)-: Fight smart not rashly. We act first and think later… that needs to be changed.