Story:
Expected Lockdown Schedule, India following WHO
WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION PROTOCOL & PROCEDURE OF LOCKDOWN PERIODS FOR CONTROLLING ON MOST DANGEROUS VIRUS
STEP 1 – 1 DAY.
STEP 2- 21 DAYS.
AFTER 5 DAYS.
STEP 3- 28 DAYS.
AFTER 5 DAYS.
STEP 4 – 15 DAYS.
The sameway, our Indian governments are follow:
MAR22-1 DAY ( TRIAL LOCKDOWN)
MAR24-APR14 – 21 DAYS(FIRST LOCKDOWN)
APRIL15- APRIL19 – RELAX FROM LOCKDOWN
APR20 – MAY 18 – 28DAYS(SECOND LOCKDOWN)
INCASE, Covid19 patient ratio is Zero
Withdraw the LOCKDOWN.
Otherwise,
May19 – May 24 – Relax from LOCKDOWN.
May 25 – June 10 – 15 days (FINAL LOCKDOWN).
Fact Check:
A message is viral on WhatsApp and other online platforms claiming India is following a certain Lockdown schedule of WHO for controlling Coronavirus. It mentions four stages of lockdown with few days of break in between. No, the claims are not true and explained here.
India Following ‘WHO Lockdown Schedule’ to Fight Coronavirus?
In order to stop transmission of the deadly Coronavirus COVID-19, India announced a 21 day nation-wide lockdown between 24th March to 14th of April 2020. The message in circulation suggests Indian government is following lockdown procedure of World Health Organization and shall extend the same accordingly. It mentions four stages of lockdown with five days gap in between, adding the final lockdown period may extend till 10th June if the COVID-19 patient ratio is not zero.
Like mentioned in the story, we did not find any particular WHO protocol/procedure of lockdown periods to control Coronavirus. Bruce Aylward, senior advisor to WHO Director-General, said Lockdowns to control Coronavirus spread will mostly last more than two weeks. WHO also suggested governments must rapidly find and test suspect cases, isolate and treat confirmed cases, and quarantine others. This is crucial to hold off a second wave of infections.
As long as the Coronavirus lingers and there are large number of people not yet exposed to it, there’s a risk of resurgence. So, WHO’s team cautioned India against cycles of outbreaks. At a press briefing in Geneva, Mike Ryan, Head of the WHO’s Emergencies program said stop-and-start lockdowns will damage the economy even more.
India’s Approach to Fight Coronavirus
WHO said governments should keep their populations under lockdown. Then they should chase down every suspect case for testing, treating and isolating those who test positive. This is more important than mere shutdown, and India is following the same. After announcing nation-wide lockdown for 21 days, all states are carrying on efforts on a war footing to identify and isolate COVID-19 hotspots. Dr Henk Bekedam, WHO Representative to India explained the same in a comment:
“India stands at an important turning point in its fight against COVID-19. Extraordinary situations demand extraordinary measures. The Prime Minister has taken bold and decisive steps to break the chain of transmission. It is equally vital that this window is used for further ramping up measures to find, isolate, test, treat and trace. WHO stands together in solidarity with India and its people and is committed to providing all the support that is needed.”
As of this writing, reports suggest the Prime Minister of India is seeking the exit strategy of lockdown from state governments after the 21-day period ends on April 14th. In an interaction with state chief ministers, the PM emphasized, “It is important to formulate a common exit strategy to ensure staggered re-emergence of the population once the lockdown ends.” On the other hand, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said they will permit International flights after April 15 depending on where they are coming from.
So, like mentioned in the story, there is no specific lockdown protocol/procedure of WHO for controlling the dangerous Coronavirus. As of this writing, it is not clear how India will change its approach after the lockdown period ends on 14th April 2020.
Hoax or Fact:
Hoax.
0 Comments