‘Test’ Before You ‘Lock’ Hyderabad Again!

Corona virus has made the whole world to dance according its tune. Ever since the lockdown began, the public has been suffering from different aspects: some  for food and others to retreat to their native places.  When the lockdown was eased to some extent on 30th May,  retaining some restrictions, people in cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai started moving  from one place to other, accelerating   the spread of the virus. If not immediately, but later, Hyderabad joined the suit and has become one of the hot spots of the Country. With the steep rise of cases in the city, KCR, the CM of Telangana is toying with the idea of reimposing lock down in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation(GHMC).

Will  bringing back lockdown cut down the number of cases? Lack of testing and tracing could be the main reason for the hike in cases, as many experts complain. When telugoos interacted with the cross section of the people in the city,  some said, the reimposing  lock down may minimize the community spread and some were against it. Those, who oppose the proposed move, were of the view that the economic condition of the state would  be further worsened. Many blamed the government for its sluggishness in testing.  A few have developed a stigma:  to earn one must alive . For instance, a merchants’ association in Begumbazar and Koti to take a voluntary decision to shut their shops for at least for  10 days to limit the spread of the virus.

-Jyothi Sharma, student, AP College of Journalism