Cinemas will open, religious gatherings will be allowed with restrictions, and students in some parts of the country will be able to return to classrooms, as the last phase of the country’s reopening begins Thursday, about seven months after a national shutdown began. imposed when the coronavirus pandemic spread around the world.
The latest “unblocked” activities pose some of the greatest risks of infection: The virus can spread easily in enclosed spaces such as movie theaters, quickly among typical religious festival crowds, and potentially out of control in children who then they can pass it on to more people. vulnerable people at home.
The risks are offset by recent infection trends that suggest India may have passed its first outbreak peak, and economic indicators that justify a return to greater normalcy to halt widespread income erosion.
The measures also come as the country enters winter, conditions in which the Sars-Cov-2 virus is expected to last longer and a Covid-19 infection is feared to worsen due to increased contamination.
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“The next two and a half months will be very crucial for us in our fight against the crown due to the winter season and the festival season. It is the responsibility of all citizens not to lower their guard and to follow the appropriate behavior of Covid to curb the spread of the infection, ”said the Union’s health minister, Harsh Vardhan, in a meeting with central government hospitals on Wednesday.
A review of state protocols for schools, movie theaters, and festival celebrations shows that most regions are playing it safe. Only about five states have decided to open schools, and almost all will allow only students in the upper classes to attend. Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, which have the highest number of cases, have decided to keep them closed.
However, more states have chosen to open movie theaters. The Union Ministry of the Interior, which defines a basic level of restrictions that must be followed, said on September 30 that these companies can support only 50% of their capacity and must ensure that space is left between each guest.
With few new titles being released, most movie theaters choose to screen previously released titles as they also determine the risk appetite among their customers. “We’ve picked some old blockbusters like Us, Chhichhore, Malang, Section 375, depending on which movie fits best in which pocket and was preferred there. So cinemas in Delhi would show a different movie than a theater in Gurugram or Kanpur, ”said Kunal Sawhney, Carnival Cinemas senior vice president of operations.
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“We just want customers to come and see that the cinema is safe, our goal is to regain their trust this particular week,” he added.
In Delhi, representatives from movie theaters, which include PVR, M2K Cinemas and INOX, told Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal that to ensure guidelines are followed, they will sanitize food counters, prohibit customers from consuming food inside auditoriums , will leave an empty seat between two spectators, even if they arrive in a group, and ask customers to download the Aarogya Setu mobile app.
As on Wednesday, India recorded 7,304,804 cases and 111,314 deaths. Data for the entire country showed that there were 67,819new cases, significantly lower than the roughly 93,000 cases seen on average in mid-September when the outbreak was at its peak.
The experts reiterated that the risks have not diminished and people should not lower their guard. “The next few months will be crucial as the respiratory viruses, the pollution, the drop in temperature and the congregation create a killer combination that helps these microbes thrive. Sars-Cov-2 may be a new virus, but based on the evidence available worldwide on the behavior of respiratory viruses in winters, we should be prepared for an increase in cases, ”said Dr GC Khilnani, former head of the department of pulmonology from all over India. Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi.
“Maintaining physical distancing will be difficult in the coming weeks when there is a holiday fever in the markets, which could affect containment measures. A vaccine will take time, so the only effective option is to observe the appropriate behavior of Covid, “he added.
Pediatricians said opening schools is not a good idea as enclosed spaces such as classrooms pose a significant risk. “The problem is not the opening of schools, the real challenge will be to ensure that students follow the appropriate behavior of Covid-19, especially when you see that adults take preventive measures too informally,” said JS Bhasin, director of the department of pediatrics from BLK Hospital, Delhi. .
“The children themselves may not be very sick, but once they return home, they can spread it to the most vulnerable population, such as their grandparents. It’s definitely going to cause an outbreak in the cases, ”added Bhasin.
The latest unlocking exercise is the fifth in a series of such decisions since June 1, but with a modified nomenclature (previously, the reopening process was called “Unlocking”). For large gatherings, the September 30 announcement from the Home Office set a limit of 200 people if an event is held indoors, as long as this meeting does not exceed 50% of the venue’s established capacity.
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For outdoor events, the government did not set a limit, but specified that people should follow the social distancing practice of staying 6 feet away, covering their faces, using hand sanitizers, and getting screened for fever. .
Over the next month, the country will also witness its first elections since the pandemic broke out.
Elections will be held in Bihar for the 243 constituencies of the assembly and by-elections for 59 seats will be held in 11 states. The results of the Bihar assembly elections and the parliamentary elections will be declared on November 10. On October 8, the Union Ministry of the Interior allowed election rallies to take place in these 12 states, placing political parties on the responsibility of ensuring that people observe precautions such as distancing themselves and covering their faces to minimize risk. of infections.
Regular international flights remain banned, as one of the most prominent pre-Covid activities that has yet to be fully restored. For domestic flights, the government has currently allowed 60% of the capacity.
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