Localised lockdowns

India crossed the one-million mark of Covid-19 cases last week and the infection continues to spread rapidly. While things are somewhat improving in large cities like Delhi and Mumbai, the virus is spreading in many other areas. At national level, the Union government, in consultation with state governments, decided to open up the economy. However, lockdowns are now being re-imposed by state governments and local authorities at will. For example, the Bihar government has imposed a statewide lockdown till the end this month. Large cities like Pune and Bengaluru have also announced similar steps. In Uttar Pradesh, all markets need to close during weekends, and West Bengal has just extended a ban on all flights from six cities including Delhi