Vijayawada: Partial lockdown begins today

Vijayawada: Partial lockdown is beginning in Krishna district on Wednesday to break the chain of Covid pandemic, which is spreading very fast claiming the lives of people and destabilizing thousands of families financially.

Covid cases are spreading three times faster in May compared to April and creating panic among the common people. Thousands of families in the district are spending sleepless nights due to the impact of second wave pandemic.

Keeping in view of the spurt in Covid cases, the State government announced partial lockdown from May 5 to 18. Shops will be permitted to open from 6 am to 12 noon. Curfew will be imposed from12 noon to next day 6 am. People have to buy and do other activities during the six hours only. Emergency services will be allowed like medical shops, labs, hospitals, ambulances, gas and petrol vehicles, petrol bunks etc.

Doctors, chamber of commerce, academicians and others welcomed the decision of the State government on lockdown.

Last month, over 11,000 cases were registered in Krishna district. In the first four days of May, 3671 Covid positive cases were logged in the district. The only hope to break the chain of Covid cases is to implement the lockdown very strictly. So that the people stay home and avoid going outside and prevent the spread of virus.

Covid is spreading very fast and incubation period is less than one week in the second wave. In the first wave, the incubation period was 10 to 14 days and mostly elderly people died due to Covid in the first wave. Deaths due to Covid were also very less.

But the second wave is very horrible and youth are also dying in the State. Active cases in Krishna district are 8443 on Tuesday and 1,59,597 in the State.

Thousands of Covid patients are suffering due to non-availability of oxygen beds, ICU beds, oxygen cylinders and medicines. If the lockdown is not implemented, the Covid cases will increase many fold leading to more deaths and suffering of people, according to experts.

Dr Indla Ramasubba Reddy, executive member, NTR Health University and Director of Indlas Vimhans Hospital, Vijayawada, welcomed the implementation of partial lockdown in the State. He said the government has taken the correct step to check the spread of the coronavirus. People should follow Covid precautions and stay safe.

Vijayawada Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Konakalla Vidyasagar also welcomed the partial lockdown in the State. He once again appealed to the traders to stick to lockdown restrictions and close the shops as ordered by the State government. He expressed concern over the rapid increase of Covid cases in the State and hoped lockdown would help to break the corona chain.

Covid patients and their family members too are hopeful of curtailing the Covid cases in the district and the State. They are facing innumerable hardships due to exorbitant charges collected by hospitals and ambulance drivers. Moreover, black marketing of some important drugs is also increasing causing more embarrassing situation to the middleclass and poor families because they are forced to buy drugs at exorbitant prices. Not to mention funeral is also became very expensive as funeral performers charging thousands of rupees to perform last rites of Covid patients. The last journey of human beings have become more painful to the family members because of the greed of some persons in society.