Those at the bottom of our economic pyramid have borne the brunt of our virus-containment efforts The lockdown is now in its third week and expectations are that it would be extended further.
Opinion is divided on whether this is a better way of dealing with the pandemic as opposed to increasing testing, which could have better identified the pattern of the infection’s spread.
What is certain, though, is that the lockdown, while aiming to avert a humanitarian crisis that the infection’s spread can lead to, is ending up causing just that by way of the resultant economic distress.
The central government has, in an affidavit to the Supreme Court, stated that 1.5 million workers are being given shelter and food by their employers or industry.