From Unlock 1.0 to Unlock 2.0 : What Changed and What Changes?
The Unlock 1.0 began on 1st June, and since then India has been reporting record high cases every day, taking the total tally to over five lakhs. Post June 8, shopping places, religious worship places and markets began opening as the curfews and restrictions relaxed. Inter and intra-state travel also began. After two months of stringent lockdown, the country began lifting the restrictions and resuming life as before.
On 31st May, India had 182,143 coronavirus cases with 5164 deaths reported due to COVID-19. As June seems to end, the number of Coronavirus cases stands at 5.67 Lakh, and the number of deaths due to COVID-19 stands at 16,893.
Delhi, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu led the way, as they accounted for the majority of the cases in the country. Around 20k cases are being reported every day since few days. Yesterday a decline was observed in the number of reported cases, as around 18,522 cases came out in 24 hours. The recovery rate has also increased to 59.06%.
The unlock phase began as the focus of the country shifted towards economic refueling. The two-month stringent lockdown cast a gloomy shadow on the country’s economy. The pandemic negatively impacted businesses and other industries as well. The unlocking phase was implemented to revive the all activities that were halted.
What Changed during Unlock 1.0?
The Unlock 1.0 did not turn out to yield a good result for nation in terms of Coronavirus casse. The number of cases began increasing exponentially. However, the testing too has been ramped up, and the country has been conducting over 2 lakh tests every day.
The highest contributor Maharashtra has till now reported over 1.7 lakh cases and 7k deaths, and this surge of cases has resulted in another lockdown in the state. The state has tested around 9,46,518 samples till date.
From July 1 more relaxations will be provided, as the second phase of the unlocking will begin. The unlock 2.0 will allow movement between states, and delivery of goods and services without any restriction. The containment zones however will still be in a lockdown to contain the spread of the virus.
Domestic flights will also increase in the country. Under the Vande Bahrat Mission, International travel will also be moderated.
Shops and markets have been given a green signal to function, outside the containment zone, but proper social distancing will have to be maintained, and not more than five people can enter a shop at one time. Night curfew will still be observed in the country, from 10 pm to 5 am. All gatherings have been banned.
Things that are still not allowed in Unlock 2.0
- Schools and colleges will remain shut till 31 July
- Metro services
- Swimming pools
- Cinema halls
- Gym
- Bars
- Auditoriums
- Parks
- Theaters
However, not all states will begin their Unlock phase 2.0. Many states will undergo lockdown again. Maharashtra will now observe a lockdown till 31st July. Tamil Nadu has implemented a strict lockdown in the districts with the maximum number of cases. this includes Chennai, as the number of cases in the state were surging. West Bengal and Jharkhand too will be under lockdown till 31 July. Assam has put Kamrup under an intense fourteen-day lockdown, starting from June 28. And a 12-hour night curfew will also be observed in Assam.
Journey from Lockdown to Unlock 1.0 has not been easy for country. Tablighi crisis and then Migrant crisis all took place during lockdown. However, in Unlock 1.0 things did not better for the nation. Cases has risen exponentially. On 30th June Unlock 1.0 ends and nation enters second phase of unlocking. Many states have started returning back to locking down states because the virus has got out of control in some state. It is hoped that life may return to some sort of normality in coming months.
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