The Lancet India Task Force on Covid-19 has suggested a 'containment measures checklist' to the Centre to contain the alarming surge in the Covid-19 cases. The task force also asserted that these measures 'must be done beyond the current binary discussion on a lockdown'.
The panel recommends variables like new cases per day (7-day moving average), rate of increase in new cases per day (2-week moving average), test positivity rates per day (2-week moving average), number of tests per million per day, and utilization rates of ICU beds be considered to decide on containment strategies.
The panel also has recommended that all steps be taken, keeping in mind the economic consequences, along with in-depth consultations with all stakeholders in society; and ensuring that there safety nets in place for the most vulnerable sections that bear the brunt of the economic costs of closures.
On the contention that should be a national lockdown, the panel said, there can't be a single policy option of a complete lockdown. The panel also said a complete lockdown as being advocated by many is not an option and hence, the country must be divided into zones, for targeted containment.
Most importantly, the panel says it does not recommend restrictions on domestic travel, especially travel by train or road, which is the primary means of travel for the poor. It recommends testing be made readily available in low-risk areas like bus stations, railway stations, and airports, with Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) kits.