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Lucknow all of a sudden plunged into darkness. Shops closed. Desserted roads and the fear of an unseen viral enemy pervades the confines of the city. There is palpable tension as the number of cases of the Novel coronavirus rise. Adding to that the Tabligi Jamaat community spreading fears have trebled the problem even more, with 12 hotspots totally sealed barring the usual lockdown protocol.
While big corporates allow their workers to operate from home, the fruit and vegetable vendors along with food and medicine outlets continue to remain stocked up for essential items that could aid natural hunger pangs. Panic buying and repeated cases of social distancing violations have continued to roil the city, much like other parts of India.
Under bridges a line of stools, benches and shacks dot the roads as the owners of these not so swank eateries have decided to stay at home. Mile after mile roads remain pitch dark with no sign of human existence, as all remain socially isolated. Shutters are closed. Sanitization at several pockets is being done to maintain the needed anti viral check.
Lucknow turned a virtual ghost town as the fear of the Novel Coronavirus spread across the length and breadth of the city. There are growing fears that the Coronavirus impact could reach stage 3. The official confirmation of stage 3 is part of the WHO responsibility, but everyone has been asked to stay extra cautious, especially the PM speech has been significant to send a point across. Beggars are forced to sleep on the streets. Already the unskilled workforce has had to go door to door for work or begging for alms.
Print media outlets have found it hard to deliver the paper in most parts of the state. With posh colonies and apartments locked many civic workers are spending hours sanitising parks and bus stands.
Bigger queues and dwindling stocks have been reported from the vegetable mandis. Meanwhile mass exodus has led to a major concern for those who think those earning daily minus a roof must be taken care of. Many have had to walk for miles together, especially those labourers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Trucks have stopped plying. Often resulting in leaving the truck drivers stranded. As a result they are left with no means to move to and from Lucknow’s Transport Nagar area. Delivery truck drivers have found it tough to fill their belly as shops remain shut due to the lockdown. These drivers hail from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Bihar, and many other states.
With no work, daily wagers like rickshaw pullers are either busy cooking or enjoying board games. Cops having a hard time have been captured by the media playing with stray dogs. The UP government has already announced a package for 1.65 crore families of daily wagers (one month of ration and Rs 1,000 per month.)
The city of Lucknow continues to remain in total lockdown mode. With increasing number of patients in the capital of Uttar Pradesh due to Coronavirus, the district administration has ordered a lockout in many areas of the city, showing caution. Major establishments including hotels, cafes have been closed. District Magistrate Abhishek Prakash in the order has cleared that all the bars, cafes, lounges, hair salons, beauty parlors etc will stay closed. Food stalls, restaurants, dhabas, refreshments in Lucknow will also stay closed.
Khurram Nagar (from Mahanagar crossroads to Kukrail forest area entrance, Kanchana Bihari Marg), Kalyanpur, Shivani Vihar, Abrar Nagar, Kamla Nehru Nagar, Vikas Nagar, Tedhi Pulia to Gulachin Mandir to Kapurthala intersection, Kapurthala intersection to Mahanagar PAC Gate and the area on either side of Khurram Nagar via wireless crossing from Mahanagar PAC Gate to Rahim Nagar intersection, Kukarel Nalla and Terhi Pulia Kursi along with all offices, establishments and institutes in Aliganj, Mahanagar, Gudamba, Indira Nagar remain closed. Bhootnath, Aminabad Stationery Market and Chowk Sarafa Market are closed as well.
The total lockdown now has barred hospitals, pharmacists, medical stores, pathology and other essential centres. Gas, milk, ration shops etc are still running. through the weekend. The traders of both the places have decided to keep the market closed due to the fact that the infection does not spread.
As rumours of shutters of everything including essential goods increasing, there were also people who stepped up the purchase of household goods. People bought double and triple the amount and deposited it in the house. Some people are stocking up more vegetables. Customers who used to carry two-three kg potatoes are carrying 10 kg now.
At the same time, there is a huge crowd in ration shops. At Fatehganj Galla Mandi those who used to take ration for a month, they took 6 months ration. According to the Lucknow Petrol-Diesel Association, where two lakh liters were sold daily, the sales have been reduced from one to one and a quarter lakh liters at present.
Action is being taken against the violator of this order under Section 188 of IPC. Meanwhile Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor also made headlines in lieu of the Coronavirus impact.
Reports show that the virus is spreading from one human to the other. In the state capital Lucknow, several cases have come to light of Corona which has further fuelled the debate around how best to arrest its spread.
The other issue doctors face are junior doctors who were treating the patients infected by the virus. Even the relatives of the doctors are under the Corona scanner. In the words of the CMO SNS Yadav, the infection in junior doctors is true.
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A study out recently finds that the virus can survive on hard surfaces such as plastic and stainless steel for up to 72 hours and on cardboard for up to 24 hours. Officials say self-quarantining is good for two weeks if you’ve had exposure to somebody with the virus and might be infected. It’s a way to monitor if symptoms develop and, at the same time, avoid any possible spread to others. Since the incubation period for the virus is up to 14 days, you’re “cleared” for the virus after two weeks.
India has reported 5,734 cases of Coronavirus, 473 have recovered and 166 have died in India. Reportedly, the number of COVID – 19 cases is 387 in UP, 22 in Lucknow alone.
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