On 8 April, PM Modi addressed the CMs to discuss the rising COVID cases and called on states to enforce night curfews but rename them ‘Covid Curfew.’
“I urge states that are enforcing night curfew to popularise it as Covid curfew so that people remain aware about coronavirus.”PM Modi as reported by The Times of India
He added that, “Corona curfew is helping (governments) educate people and make them aware of the coronavirus.”
Are Night Curfews Effective?
FIT speaks to the experts to find out. Dr Shahid Jameel, virologist and director of the Trivedi School of Biosciences at Ashoka University, told us in an earlier interview that since vaccinations - even if they would be opened up to all ages - take time, some form of lockdowns were inevitable.
He explained that lockdowns have an immediate effect and so can help curb this wave.
“Limited lockdowns are inevitable, although night and weekend curfews are of little help and more for optics.”Dr Shahid Jameel, virologist
Dr Anant Bhan, Adjunct Professor & Researcher in Bioethics at Mangaluru’s Yenepoya University agreed on the need for a “scientific, nuanced” approach to lockdowns, and that night curfews were of little effect.
He added that night curfews could in fact worsen the COVID-19 situation, as it may lead to overcrowding in the day as people scramble to finish their tasks. Only with other restrictions, like closing non-essential shops, working from home when possible, restricting capacity or closing restaurants, malls, theatres can we enforce social distancing and reduce the transmission.
But in his address, PM Modi stressed the importance of renaming night curfew as ‘covid curfew’ mainly to raise awareness of COVID - but did not speak of its effectiveness in dealing with the rising cases. He added, “There is an intellectual debate that goes on like does corona come in night? The truth is that the world has accepted this experiment of night curfew. It is so because the curfew time reminds everyone that they are living in the era of coronavirus.”
Public health experts suggest we need a combination of covid protocol (masking, distancing and handwashing), vaccination and restrictions to help combat the pandemic.
Dr Jameel adds that, “We can do a lockdown in certain areas of affected cities,” while Dr Bhan adds that since we know the problems from last time, “we can plan better for other healthcare services to continue, the elderly to be protected” and daily wagers to stay afloat.
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