Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi (KVVES) in Calicut has been demanding the state government allow shops and establishments to remain open on all days. The current COVID-19 protocol allows merchants, who sell non-essential products, to open their shops only on alternate weekdays. Responding to their demand, CM Pinarayi Vijayan said during a July 13 press meet that we understand the “emotions” of the merchants, but if the protest turned violent, it will be “dealt in a way it should be”.
KVVES, which claims to have over 10 lakh members, was formed in 1980. On Monday, July 12, they held a protest demanding ease of restrictions in order to open shops. They threatened to go ahead and open them, by following COVID-19 protocol, if their demands are not met. TNM spoke to experts on what they feel should be done, and whether shops should be open everyday to contain the transmission of the COVID-19 virus. Experts are of the opinion that opening the shop on alternate days would create a stampede, say experts. The experts implied that the current system of regulations which are in place could prove to be counter-productive.
Dr Gopikumar P, State Secretary of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) felt the protocol in place should be changed. “We need to be able to control the crowd. There is a big rush when shops are open, because they’re on a time constrain. This could lead to higher transmission rates and further [plausible] mutation. Hence, we need to open the shops,” he said. Home isolation was a good tool, he said, but with the mutated variant, the virus has become more virulent. He added that this should be done meticulously, as it is difficult to implement it in areas that have extreme transmission rates. “We must ensure the family members of the infected person are not further infecting others,” he continued.
Dr Sheetal Joy, an epidemiologist and an ex-member of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) felt that opening shops could be helpful in several ways. “It will reduce rush and panic. Now, they are open only on alternate days, and besides that, only for a limited time. Opening shops now seems to be the better option,” she said. She added that it is important that the shops keep a record of their customers, which specifies their ward, to check if they’re from a containment zone.
Dr Manjula Bhai N S, an epidemiologist, also shared a similar opinion. “There is a fact in the [Samithi’s] argument. Considering the current scenario, opening on alternate days could lead to high rush and that is detrimental,” she said.
However, another epidemiologist, who wished to remain anonymous, felt it is best to go by what the government has announced. “The government has all the data. They know the variants and the case load, and this is not good for the economy too. If they still insist, there probably is a good reason”, the Epidemiologist said.
Extending shop timings, the government on July 14 decided to continue the alternate-day lockdown, citing high TPR. While opposition leaders like KPCC President K Sudhakaran and Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan criticized the government’s response, CP(M)’s lone MP in Lok Sabha from Alleppey constituency, A M Ariff, wrote to the Chief Minister, exhorting him to allow the opening of shops on a daily basis.