May becomes month of relief as countries prepare to ease curbs

PUNE: Worldwide, governments armed with improved knowledge of Covid-19, are readying roadmaps this month to end lockdowns.


China, with

restrictions

that started as early as February, has been one of the first out of the gates. “People are going back to work and universities,” says ‘Lu’, a schoolteacher based out of Hangzhou, the capital city of Zhejiang province. It’s about an hour from Beijing by high-speed rail. “Everyone has masks on; trains are still limited to some stations and even when you are taking the train, passengers have been spaced out. The mood is upbeat but some social distancing is expected to stay on.”

In Britain, residents eagerly await relief. “A second review of the lockdown, which began on March 23, is on May 7,” says Chaitali Sarker, a journalist based in London. “The

government

needs to be confident the rate of infection is at manageable levels before it moves to ease curbs. At present, the RO (reproductive rate) is believed to be around one. We are told it needs to be well below that figure to be ‘manageable’.”

Nearly 9,000 km away, Japan — with nearly 14,000 cases and 455 deaths as of May 2 — is cautious. “We go for short walks near our homes. At check-out counters, cashiers stand behind plastic screens with gloves and masks. The queues here have tape markings for social distancing guidelines,” says Meghana Kurup-Menon, a homemaker in Tokyo. “The state of emergency across Japan went into effect on April 8. It’s on until May 6, but I think it could get extended for a month. Many stores are shut or have reduced operational hours. Public transport is still running but there has been a big drop in ridership.”

In Italy, starting May 4, residents will be allowed to step out for morning runs and social visits. The country that has had nearly 28,000 deaths even plans to open museums by May 18 (but schools are expected to stay shut until early September).

A researcher, who is part of a team investigating the virus, says he hopes people “don’t go crazy” with the newly announced freedoms. Last week, Italy reported its lowest daily death count of 269 — down from nearly 900 in late March.

“Social distancing reduced Italy’s numbers,” says the virologist. “There is finally a glimmer of hope. We just have to be careful because if we hit a peak again, the country’s health infrastructure will be in serious trouble. We will not completely open in May, but we’re taking the first steps.”

Social discipline has played a vital role in countries like New Zealand where, according to residents, people diligently obeyed rules. The country has been under a lockdown since March 26.

“We took walks every day but had to strictly keep a distance of two metres from each other. People have been extremely good at following this. We’re now in level 3 and queues outside KFC and other fast food eateries have been unbelievable. Wearing a mask is not compulsory,” says Shriya Bhagwat, a communications specialist in Auckland.

New Zealand has had a successfull campain against Covid-19. A population of nearly 4.8 million people has had 20 deaths and just over 1,400 positive cases. Of course, its isolation played a role.

“But there was a massive public health campaign that rolled out via TV and the Internet. The consistent messaging was amplified by local councils. It reached everyone via email or social media,” adds Bhagwat.

It’s this precise messaging that citizens insist will be the game-changer once curbs lift. In Singapore, where authorities relaxed curbs on Saturday, citizens say open communication lines have instilled confidence in the system. “The government has channels on WhatsApp and Telegram for daily updates. The prime minister regularly addresses the nation and hotlines across agencies have been established for citizen queries,” says Kashmira, an entrepreneur.

“The lockdown — called ‘circuit breaker’ — set in with minimal confusion on April 7. Here, it is compulsory for everyone to wear masks. But children below the age of two have been exempted,” she adds