Dos and Don'ts during the March 22 Janata Curfew

March 20, 2020

With the coronavirus pandemic spreading all across the world, particularly affecting many regions across Europe and US, the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi has urged all the Indian citizens to observe a & lsquo Janata Curfew' on Sunday, March 22^nd 2020 to contain the outbreak in India in a televised address on Thursday.

What is Janata Curfew?

Janata Curfew refers to a public curfew that is meant to encourage the Indian public to practice social distancing, i.e. to stay at home as much as possible in the coming weeks and keeping away from crowds. As part of the Janata Curfew, the Prime Minister has urged all the citizens to stay indoors for 14 hours on March 22, 2020, starting from 7 am till 9 pm. The Janata Curfew on 22^nd March is on a trial basis, however, it has been indicated by the Prime Minister that it could be extended for a longer period if the coronavirus outbreak further spreads in India.

Dos and Don'ts during the Janata Curfew

Janata Curfew on Sunday is a self-imposed lockdown, which means that there will be no penal consequences. However, the PM has urged all the citizens to comply to prepare for a longer lockdown if the need arises. The purpose of the Janata Curfew, as also emphasized by the Hon'ble Prime Minister, is to make the public understand the importance of practicing social isolation to keep yourself and those around you safe from the coronavirus outbreak. One must follow the following dos and don'ts during Janata Curfew to ensure the safety of himself and the people around:

Practice Resolution and Restraint: One should try and work from home and should get out of their house only when it is extremely necessary. This is why, keeping away from crowds and self-isolation is very important at this time of coronavirus outbreak. One should not be complacent and should be vigilant. If you think nothing can happen to you, it is not the right attitude.
Avoid Visiting Hospitals: One should avoid visiting hospitals for routine check-ups and must postpone an appointment for a non-essential surgery if possible.
Take Care of Domestic Workforce: The traders and high-income families must take care of their domestic workforce and must not deduct pays for the days they are unable to render services. One should be sensitive to the economic interests of all the people whose services they are using.
Do not resort to Panic Buying: PM has ensured that there will be no shortage of food, milk, medicines, and other daily essentials and thus has urged the public to not panic.
Follow Necessary Instructions: Pay respect to those who are working round the clock to keep India safe such as doctors, nurses, medical staff, airline employees, railway and bus staff, media and home delivery staff. Pay attention to the necessary instructions coming from the experts to keep yourself and your family safe during the outbreak.

The PM has stated that the experts have been tracking the trend of Covid-19 and have seen how the cases have multiplied in the affected countries post the initial spill and has stated that there is no room for complacency when dealing with the epidemic. Moreover, the centre has released a comic book on coronavirus with the objective to spread awareness of the epidemic among children. It has also released a 15-point social distancing measure advisory, suggesting the steps to be taken to prevent contact between those infected and those who are not. The aim is to stop or slow down the rate and extent of transmission of Covid-19 leading to the eventual decrease of spread, morbidity, and mortality due to the coronavirus outbreak. The measures shall remain in force till 31^st March 2020.