STAGGERED LOCK DOWNCOULD REIN IN CASES Elvidio Miranda On 25th March, 2021 the number of new infected cases in India was reported as 59,118 in a very sharp upswing in the last two weeks. Coastal areas in India such as Maharashtra, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu could see very high degree of rise as also the polluted capital of India, Delhi. In another 20 days, the number of new infected cases could therefore double if stringent measures are not implemented in the worst affected areas. What could be done is that staggered lock down measures may be implemented to control the spread of the corona virus. Temperatures are pretty high and normally this should have brought down the number of cases, but the bad news is that especially in the coastal areas, the humidity percentages are above 80% which means that the spread of the corona virus will be higher, as the humidity in the atmosphere will lead to sustenance of the virus in the air. In the most affected areas so that the spread is controlled, all industrial workers should be issued passes for travelling in shifts for work, and the companies should monitor the workers very strictly. Where ever the virus is spreading, it would be prudent to rein in its spread by adopting strict SOPs. If the upswing in the graph can be curtailed, then in the run up to the monsoon, the spread of the virus can be brought down considerably. It is an irony that though vaccination drive is in full swing, still the number of cases are on the rise. Caution and an element of prudence would be the best way out.
