Keep unlocking with safety protocols

Keep unlocking with safety protocols

A mapping of key sectors by this newspaper shows tepid recovery in most, with the exception of e-commerce and technology that are on a welcome rebound. The outlook is grim in real estate, steel, cement, aviation, hospitality and cab-hailing services. This underscores the need to keep opening up the economy, without lowering the guard on safety measures. Different parts of the country have gained different degrees of capability to cope with the pandemic. Those who itch to lockdown should learn from them. Dharavi and Delhi offer valuable lessons.

Widespread testing, contact tracing and aggressive isolation —that included moving people into institutionalised quarantine centres — helped halt the spread of infection in Dharavi, thanks to the efforts of community workers and municipal officials. Similarly, the situation in Delhi improved after the government ramped up testing, increased both the number of hospital beds and advice for home isolation. While containing infection zones, we need to let the rest of the economy work. Rightly, the new lockdown guidelines restrict activity only in containment zones and dispense with night curfews. But the reopening of gyms and yoga centres is not a good idea, given the nature of the pandemic. All states must diligently follow the strategy of testing, contact tracing and insist that workplaces adhere to safety protocols: social distancing, masks and sanitary rigour.

The reopening of the economy must be supported by a rational policy on how people can work. Work from home is an option in some sectors, not all. For employees who need to get to their workplaces, the onus is on employers to put in standard operating procedures and set up staggered work schedules. Economic revival by protecting both lives and livelihoods is the way ahead.