Lockdown due to Covid-19

Coronavirus disease or COVID-19 has spread so wildly that calling it the biggest disruption in our lifetimes would be an understatement. India is a country with a huge population and a very dense one too. Hence stopping an infectious disease in this country is very difficult. I think The Government of India did the right thing by initiating a lockdown across the country. I still believe that we are a few days late in implementing this and I hope it doesn’t cost us. But its better late than never. Looking at the other countries in the west who are struggling to implement a full lockdown, I must say that our Government has taken the right step. Implementing a nation wide lock down at stage 2 of the pandemic hopefully will help our country to normalise faster than other nations.
But does declaring a lockdown enough to stop the disease to spread? I do not wish to get into the technicalities of random testing or data projections but I want to know how do we implement a lockdown.

In the televised address by the honourable PM, Mr. Narendra Modi on 24th March, it was declared that India will be under lockdown for the next 21 days, i.e., till 14th April 2020. Under the lockdown scenario all citizens are expected to stay indoors and should not venture out of their homes other than any urgent or emergency needs. Its quite understandable that all essential services like Hospitals, Medicine Stores, Grocery, ATMs will be available for the common man. And here lies my main issue which I will explain below:

In the morning, we are seeing that there is a lot of rush in the markets. Some places, yes distances are being maintained but not everywhere. In certain areas shops are being opened for specific times and hence people in clusters are reaching there and sometimes jostling is happening quite understandably. This last mile delivery of basic items, according to me is defeating the whole purpose of a lock down. Nobody is insulated from this disease. We do not know who is infected. Hence allowing this to happen is wrong. Lockdown needs to be implemented like a curfew. The question that will arise is how do the essential items reach to the citizens. I think we should use the delivery guys of Zomato, Swiggy or the drivers of Uber & Ola as well as the traffic volunteers who right now has no work. I will now list down my idea on how to implement this below:

1. Shops of essential items to be marked and the phone numbers of these vendors to be be sent to the citizens. Aadhar database to be used.
2. People will be requested to phone and make their orders along with their phone numbers and addresses. After ordering they can pay via wallets. COD will also be available.
3. The shopkeeper gets the items ready and the delivery boy goes and deliver the items.
4. For any particular area, government can earmark 5-10 shops for essential items.
5. Each shop to have a couple of delivery boys. The deliver boy need not run around throughout the day. Since its a localised concept so wait for 5-6 orders and then take them together based on the addresses.
6. For large complexes, the order can be delivered at the security gate. If its pre-paid, then he calls and the person comes and collect the items. If its COD, he takes the cash and move on.

We need to understand that when there is a curfew, the government relaxes the curfew for an hour or so to allow people to collect and buy necessary items. But here its a case of an infectious disease. One never knows from where the virus will enter our bodies specially if you keep going to market place and keep meeting people outside your known or social circle. Hence for us to really defeat this virus, we need to be in lockdown state totally. The idea given above, to get the essential items delivered to the doorstep will go a long way in stopping people from going outside at all.
Now the question that comes is about who pays these delivery boys. I think the customers will pay. I think every individual today understands the gravity of the situation. They are only going out because these items are a necessity. If Government get these items delivered to the doorstep, why will they go out? Another option is the Government pays these delivery boys. Possibly they could, if they can, then it solves a bigger problem.
Can this be implemented? What do you think? Any more ideas on social distancing and how we can make this lockdown 100% successful? I am all ears!

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