COVID surge pressures PM Modi to impose lockdown in India, Opposition demands total shutdown

India's coronavirus situation is spiralling out of control, and amid this, pressure is mounting on the Narendra Modi-led government to impose a strict nationwide lockdown. In the last 24 hours, the country witnessed more than 4,000 deaths for the first time and over 4 lakh daily cases for the fourth consecutive time in a week. Several medical experts, Supreme Court judges and Opposition leaders have asked the government to implement lockdown as it seems to be the only option with the virus spreading across cities and towns.

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has written a second letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the ongoing COVID-19 situation in the country, saying, "Today the disease is growing explosively. It is currently on the verge of overwhelming all of our systems."

Launching a scathing attack on the Centre, Gandhi said that "Government's failures have made another devastating national lockdown almost inevitable."

Earlier, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot had said that a pan-India shutdown can help in breaking the chain of COVID-19 if planned properly. "The second wave is staring us in the face- Experts and doctors believe that how much ever we prepare we are already facing a shortage of oxygen, medicines and other equipment, soon we may run short of medical staff as well," he stated in a series of tweets.

The second wave staring us in the face- Experts and doctors believe that how much ever we prepare we are already facing shortage of oxygen, medicines and other equipment’s, soon we may run short of medical staff as well.

— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) May 6, 2021

On the other hand, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Director Dr Randeep Guleria on Tuesday said that a strict lockdown should be imposed in areas where the Covid-19 case positivity rate is over 10% or the bed occupancy is above 60%.

"There is a need to impose strict regional lockdowns in areas where the Covid-19 case positivity rate is over 10% or the bed occupancy is above 60% to break the chain of transmission. The Covid-19 task force has also been advising for the same," Guleria said.

Earlier this week, a three-member bench of Supreme Court, comprising Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice L Nageswara Rao and Justice Ravindra Bhat had asked the government to "consider imposing lockdown to curb the virus in the second wave in the interest of public welfare".

"We are cognizant of the socio-economic impact of a lockdown, specifically, on the marginalized communities. Thus, in case the measure of a lockdown is imposed, arrangements must be made beforehand to cater to the needs of these communities," the bench directed.

Anthony Fauci, US President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser, also suggested that a complete shutdown in India may be needed two to four weeks to help ease the surge of infections.