By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, July 23: The government lifted the lockdown from midnight on Tuesday. This has drawn mixed reactions from the general public who are happy about the lifting of restrictions but are also concerned about the potential spread of COVID-19.
Tempo driver Krishna Thapaliya was one of the persons who became happy after the lifting of the restrictions. She feels that the opening up will help her get passengers. “People are not using public vehicles right now,” she complained. “I wait for hours at the [bus] stop, only to find two or three passengers. Hopefully, the end of the shutdown will bring people out on the streets and into public vehicles like mine,” she optimistically expected.
Construction contractor Suyog Basnet was also happy. “I had to stop my work because the labourers went home. Now, with the gradual resumption of long and short-distance bus services, they will return and I will be able to get back to my work.”
Experts also welcome the lifting of the nearly four-month-long lockdown. Dr. Abhinav Vaidya, associate professor of community medicine at Kathmandu Medical College, called the timing ideal. “The number of infections and the daily rise shows that we have the case burden under control. So, this was a good time to end the closure,” he said.
He also said that imposition of the lockdown was necessary for the time. The situation was unpredictable and things could have gone in many different directions. But the lockdown was declared, which mainly helped in situation management and contained the spread to an extent, he said. He was also happy that people largely respected the constraints for 120 days.
But some citizens are unconvinced. Student Prabhu Giri feels that the lockdown was lifted too quickly. “The virus might spread like wildfire if mobility is allowed again,” he expressed his concern. “Businesses and offices had already opened up and things were returning to normal while also keeping the disease under control. Why hurry to lift the lockdown?” he asked.
Similarly, homemaker Junu Pradhan also thinks that now was not the time to open the lockdown.
She especially objected to the plan of opening of schools and educational institutions from next month. “Children don’t know any better and they might not follow safety precautions,” she complained. “I hope that there is a plan behind this loosening.”
To this, Vaidya said that the responsibility for precautions and planning fell on the citizens. “The lockdown’s end does not mean we are free of the virus,” he said. “So we must take safety measures and care for our personal safety.”
If the public relaxes on safety, then the situation can turn bad and we might need another lockdown, he cautioned.