The lockdown is expected to be eased partially if the case increase rate slows. New Zealand entered a month-long national lockdown on March 25 as the number of cases in the country rose by nearly 50% in a short span of time. ‘Misinformation’ in the time of COVID-19 could also mean criticism of the government. The Russian parliament passed laws to impose harsh punishments for rule-breakers those breaking quarantine or spreading misinformation faced up to five years in prison. Taiwan followed the logic of a democratic state as opposed to China’s authoritarian state. Such initiative allowed its people to actively participate in the implementation of government policy. Civil society worked with the government to fill gaps, publish real-time maps and create fact-check centres. Many Taiwanese officials used their official social media accounts to share even small details with the public. State officials have been holding press conferences every day to announce the latest policies and updates on the epidemic, and to clarify rumours on social media. The Taiwanese government has been preparing since late December 2019 and also set up a Central Epidemic Command Centre. Taiwan, because of political pressure from China, is excluded from the WHO but unlike China focused itself on making information available to the people. One reason for the Chinese lockdown was damage control, as the infection had reached a point where global opinion had to be urgently addressed. The state’s self-promotion took precedence over access to information. Though China followed a high-end surveillance system, it was not done with people’s participation or even understanding. It is important to understand that China has suffered socially and economically not just because of the virus but because of government policies as well. The government’s agenda seemed to stretch beyond virus control and into social control. The media had to cover only positive stories about the relief work being done by Chinese authorities. In an attempt to create a good online atmosphere, many social media apps and accounts were removed because of ‘harmful content’. In February 2020, two journalists disappeared after continuously reporting stories about the outbreak. Along with this, the country also restricted public access to information, including that shared by Dr Li Wenliang, who was detained for posting online about the virus and who later died of the infection himself. The most significant intervention by China was the quarantine imposed on January 23, 2020. The lockdown according to a few other countriesĭifferent countries have interpreted and implemented lockdown differently. This analysis attempts to understand what a lockdown means in the context of public health in India. There have been several discussions around the COVID-19 infection and its potential to cause fatality, India’s preparedness and the lessons learnt. It isn’t a technical public health term, and ranges from mandatory quarantines to non-mandatory recommendations to stay at home, close certain types of businesses or avoid events and gatherings. In the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic that originated in Wuhan, China, and spread across almost 204 countries, the term has been used for varying limits on movement, function and activities of communities. A lockdown can mean different things in different contexts.
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