The number of Covid-19 cases is rising at an exponential rate in the state, in particular the Itanagar capital region (ICR), forcing the health department to moot the idea of going for a lockdown. It will be interesting to see whether the state government accepts the idea or not. The massive spike in Covid-19 cases since the start of Unlock 4 has left the capital administration and the health department overwhelmed. The situation has been made more difficult with infection among health workers rising. Many of them are currently undergoing treatment.
Already the health department was struggling with manpower issues; now things have worsened. The state government might be reluctant to re-impose a lockdown, but there is a strong case for it. At least for 14 days a lockdown should be imposed across the state, wherever cases have risen, in order to break the chain of infection. The lockdown will provide an opportunity to the health department to intensify testing and contact-tracing. Today, countries like Israel and some European countries have started to adopt strict measures, including imposition of lockdown, to stop the spread of the virus. A lot of people may say lockdown is not the solution and it is going to only hurt the poor. Yes, it is true, but for a state like Arunachal, where the health infrastructure is almost nonexistent, the massive spike in Covid-19 cases is a matter of deep concern. Measures like lockdown will hugely help to stop the spread of the virus.