Vulnerable to 2nd wave, India must consider limited lockdown in hotspots

With India vulnerable to a second wave of the Covid pandemic, All India Institute of Medical Sciences Director Randeep Guleria feels in order to contain a further surge, a limited lockdown in hotspots and extensive contact tracing, where volume of cases is high, can be considered along with a micro-plan to prevent leakage into other non-containment areas. In an exclusive chat with IANS, Guleria said the wave of Covid cases may flatten by end July or early August. He urged not to compare India with European nations like Italy and Spain. He said focus should be on 10 key cities that continue to contribute extensively to the spike. People must continue to follow social distancing, wearing mask and other precautions at least for a year, even after cases begin to decline, the AIIMS Director said, as India reported close to 17,000 cases in 24 hours and crossed 4.7 lakh in just five months. India which was steadily unlocking to return to new normal found a number of states issuing lockdown in parts most affected by the virus as cases mounted quickly.