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As part of the gradual unlocking, Indian Railways said Sunday that it will resume passenger train services gradually starting Tuesday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will discuss with the state’s top ministers on Monday what to do next in the fight against the new coronavirus outbreak.
Modi will hold a video conference with senior ministers, the Prime Minister’s Office tweeted on Sunday. This would be his fifth meeting with the chief ministers since March 20. The meeting is expected to discuss the way forward to relax the national closure and adjust containment measures in local areas. A national blockade since March 25 has dealt a severe blow to jobs and the economy, while triggering a massive reverse migration of workers from cities to towns.
Analysts have already lowered their projections for India’s economic growth rate this fiscal year, with the shutdown severely hurting sales and raising corporate delinquency and bad debt concerns.
Experts said the only way out of this massive disruption, at least in the short term, is for people to change their behavior to adapt to realities and learn to live with the virus.
On Sunday, India reported 43,966 active cases, an increase of 65% in the past 10 days, despite large parts of the country, including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, which account for about half of the production of the country, remaining in isolation. The third phase of the blockade is scheduled to end on May 17.
Indicating that the brakes on the movement may not be a permanent solution, Lav Agarwal, joint secretary of the Union’s health ministry, said: “As we talk about relaxation for confinement, we have to face the challenge of learning to live with the virus. ” This, we need to make required prevention measures a part of our lives, through behavioral change, he said last week.
Seating arrangements and work shifts in schools, workplaces, and restaurants to ensure physical distance will become the norm. Thus, you will avoid public functions, relying more on home delivery of items, more frequent and less crowded public transportation, and a greater reliance on technology and mandatory masks.
Economists have argued that the economy cannot remain perpetually on a blockade due to uncertainty surrounding the virus. Although companies have generally been affected, the problem for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) is that several of them are in the so-called red zones, especially in metropolitan areas, and they also face a shortage of workers.
The 63 million MSMEs in the country contributed 29% of gross domestic production in fiscal year 2017, official data showed.
The Confederation of Indian Industry (IIC) on May 2 urged the government to allow companies to operate in areas with strong commercial and industrial presence, including containment zones, with the highest security protocols. This can help companies maintain themselves and prevent job losses, IIC said.
Cement producers are ready to operate with a common safety protocol, which will be followed at each factory, said Mahendra Singhi, president of the Cement Manufacturers Association.
“Production is slowly preparing, adjusting to the new operating model. When we go back to work, the only thing that changes is our mindset and focus, “Singhi said.
According to Dr. Sakhtivel Selvaraj, director of health economics, finance and policy at the Indian Public Health Foundation, MSMEs must be revived immediately to boost production, including through the provision of loans and debt relief.
“They may have to produce at 30-40% of their capacity as public transport will be closed for at least a month and is likely to operate at a reduced load,” said Selvaraj.
India will continue to depend on the manufacturing sector despite the current disruption in activity. “The government is working on multiple fronts to increase manufacturing production in the country, which will help improve the participation of this sector in the general economy beyond the current 15%,” said Amitabh Kant, executive director of the expert group of NITI Aayog policies, and added. The government has offered production-related incentives to attract foreign companies in electronic products, drug ingredients, and medical devices.
Scientists have also called for lifestyle changes as the search for a vaccine continues.
“No one knows how long the virus will be here. It can cause a second wave in the winter. It can also go away like SARS. Or stick with seasonal flu, “said Lalit Kant, a scientist and former director of epidemiology at the Indian Council of Medical Research.
The government has informed the industry that work shifts and lunch hours must be such that social distancing is guaranteed. “Preparing for the disease is the only key,” said Kant.
As the closure lift is almost close to the start of summer school breaks, child health experts have called for better preparation for opening schools.
“The summer holidays have provided an opportunity for government authorities to become more prepared to deal with the pandemic and to open schools in a planned way,” said Dr. Naveen Thacker, executive director of the International Association of Pediatrics.
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