Delhi Diary: New Covid-19 Restrictions Make Travel Within India Difficult

By Shakir Husain NEW DELHI, April 12 (Bernama) -- Until a few days ago, people in India were able to travel within the country without too many restrictions. However, things have changed sharply in recent days following a spurt in COVID-19 cases. Night curfews, curbs on non-essential businesses, partial lockdowns and tougher rules in many parts of the country to slow the spread of the coronavirus have revived memories of last year's harsh nationwide lockdown. I visited two cities in the state of Uttar Pradesh in February and March and found life there almost as normal as in the pre-pandemic days. Those taking precautions against COVID-19 by wearing face masks looked odd as most people went about their business without much care. The festival of Holi was celebrated in Uttar Pradesh and much of India with fervour as people mingled in large groups with unrestrained zeal. In Delhi, many shrugged off the virus threat by letting their face masks slip to their chins and necks while chatting with each other. This attitude wasn't surprising as officially reported daily infections then numbered in three digits. Politicians tried to outdo each other in attracting bigger crowds to their regional election campaign rallies in March, disregarding even the basic guidelines on countering the contagion. Maharashtra was comparatively restrained as the state and its major cities, including the business and film hub of Mumbai, have struggled with a heavy caseload since the coronavirus outbreak. As more Indian cities witness a surge in COVID-19 cases, travel and hospitality sectors are under renewed pressure from the tougher measures being taken to control people's movement. The Indian capital is under a night curfew until April 30, while the southern business hub of Bangalore has imposed a similar measure until April 20. With Delhi's daily cases breaching the 10,000-mark, harsher restrictions may be imposed on business and social activity if the city's healthcare infrastructure becomes overburdened. Hospitals in some cities are struggling to accommodate new patients and mortuaries are running out of space, according to media reports. About 80 per cent of the new cases on Monday were reported from 10 states – Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. Many migrant workers have left Mumbai and Gujarat in recent days due to fears of a new shutdown as those surviving on daily incomes do not want to face the kind of hardships they suffered last year when a nationwide lockdown was imposed. Daily wage earners in Mumbai are already earning less due to weekend lockdowns and night curfew. The sectors hardest hit during the pandemic had become optimistic that the COVID-19 vaccine rollout would lead to a revival. Delhi's parks, museums and monuments had begun to attract good footfall before the latest spike in infections. City-specific curfews are now making it difficult for people to plan long-distance journeys, adding to the anxieties being faced by hotels and travel businesses. -- BERNAMA