[chennai-indian]

In my area, all Grocery shops are open. I went to "More Supermarket" today. They are enforcing a queue and allowing only 5 people at a time to enter and shop. I could finish my shopping in actually less time than a normal day. Milk, groceries, and veggies all available at normal rates. The counter assistant told me that it was cops who asked them not to let in more than 5 people at a time. Very organized.

[dailydriver]

I anticipated this once the Janata Curfew was announced and had made adequate preparations in terms of essential goods and ration. No panic buying or hoarding but just by advancing the monthly grocery purchase by ten days.

My family members run a small neighborhood shop in Bengaluru. They have stayed open, without any trouble from the cops. However, once their stocks exhaust, they are hard pressed to replenish it as there are no goods vehicles running. There was some talk of the administration issuing curfew passes and I have asked them to procure one, if possible. This will enable them to visit wholesale markets and buy goods in bulk, although transportation would still be a problem.

It is important for them to stay open because few other shops in the area have jacked up their prices citing shortage. Our shop, on the other hand, hasn't indulged in this unethical profiteering and therefore has become the go to place for the predominantly middle class customers that it caters to.

But for innumerable requests from regular customers, they could have downed the shutters and stayed home safe. Now, they can't. Its an obligation towards society to stay open. Its how they feel and I tend to agree with them.

On the obverse side, interacting with customers and handling cash has become difficult. Masks and sanitizers aren't available for purchase, rendering the shopkeeping job a dangerous exercise.

PS: Lest it be considered as business promotion, I will refrain from mentioning the exact location of the shop. Thanks for understanding.

Edit: Adding Covid Passes Memo for Bengaluru.

[karan0009]

Originally Posted by Eddy

Are you sure this was today morning? I will be amazed if true, but I somehow doubt that this is after the lockdown.

Unfortunately Yes! Have received several pictures from various sources. Infact these images are circulating in local news channel as well. Situation will be worst if this type of casual approach goes on.

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by dailydriver

... Adding Covid Passes Memo for Bengaluru.

I don't see guidance for common Joe public. How do we venture out (for genuine reasons only) without risking a beating or getting arrested/booked on the on-duty officer's whim?

[charanreddy]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

I don't see guidance for common Joe public. How do we venture out (for genuine reasons only) without risking a beating or getting arrested/booked on the on-duty officer's whim?

+ 1.

I have a mandatory doctor appointment in the first week of April and have the same concern. What’s the procedure for citizens to avail the said medical services in emergency and non avoidable situations.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by charanreddy

+ 1.

I have a mandatory doctor appointment in the first week of April and have the same concern. What’s the procedure for citizens to avail the said medical services in emergency and non avoidable situations.

See if the Doctor can email you a letter on his letter head stating you need to see him. Carry along some old medical papers. Talk calmly to the cops, answer their questions, give them the Doctors number and offer them the chance to call him/her. All of these together will work.

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by charanreddy

+ 1.

I have a mandatory doctor appointment in the first week of April and have the same concern. What’s the procedure for citizens to avail the said medical services in emergency and non avoidable situations.

I got an SMS from Manipal Hospital that they are starting video consultation services. Probably you can try something similar first and head out based on the Doctor's advice.

[Lobogris]

I am having conflicting thoughts on this lockdown. Initially I supported the idea but more I see, the more I am left wondering if this is the best course of action. I understand the necessity of it but the practicality of it seems far fetched.

First of all, it is difficult, if not impossible to implement. People would not follow it in many places. Then there is the issue of this relaxation in curfew in many states for a few hours and we have seen pictures of crowds thronging the market areas during those few hours which negates any benefit of the separation. Then we come to the practical difficulties. There are so many essential services and people related to them. We have to have some one growing wheat or farming, then someone running a flour mill, then people running grain markets, storage warehouses, transportation and then retail. Just look at the chain for only wheat. Can the farmer go and tend to his field all day everyday and can his workers commute or else the crops would be ruined? The same then applies to making bread, biscuits and so on. Now we have power supply, telecommunications and so on. How would the power stations run if the employees can't travel due to public transport being banned? What about the driver of the truck transporting the food? If that truck needs repair then would the mechanic or service station also be considered essential or the chain would break down? What about factories making equipment for telecom or railways? Electricity is considered an essential service. Does that include the electrician coming to my home if I have a power failure or internal wiring problems? What about repairing an air conditioner? The list of exceptions needed is so long that it would eventually make no sense to try and have a shutdown. Then we have the living conditions of the bottom 25 to 50% who live in crowded structures with a lot of people overflowing in small alleys. Can we stop them from even hanging together in their compounds and alleys? As time goes by, people are bound to flout the lockdown and try to sell their goods, find work or meet friends and lovers.

Then we come to the implementation. Just like demonetisation, it is a grand sounding policy but the minute details have not been worked out. We have multiple reports of food delivery personnel being stopped and beaten, essential service personnel not being able to open the premises or commute and even large scale grocery retailers like Big Basket and Grofers shut down by the local police despite being on the exempt list. We have letters from the telecom ministry requesting states to allow broadband and mobile service personnel to travel to their locations. Yes, it might get sorted out in a few days but all this should have been done before as we had at least a month to plan this. We have seen pictures of people crowding on buses and trains to try and get home. What was the need for secrecy? Why not announce a graded response and allow people to prepare and plan beforehand? In any case all the migrant workers going back home in crowded transport has probably done more harm and they have spread the virus to every remote nook and corner of the country. As time passes, I am afraid all essential services would start breaking down.

I think a better approach would have been to shut crowded areas like schools, old market areas etc. and impose social distancing elsewhere. For instance, the malls could have remained open but allowed only a limited number of people inside at a time along with keeping them apart. Similar approach could have been followed by shops and restaurants. What is the risk if a person travels in his / her own car and then goes for a walk in a park or on the beach? What is needed is to avoid crowds in the park and the beach. We could have learnt from China and started an app where people could book a slot for the beach say once a week. Same for major parks. Allow a few dozen to a few hundred people (depending on the size) with police or volunteers guiding them to keep some distance. The same applies for the malls, markets and other common areas. All the resources engaged in this shutdown could have been deployed in guiding people to keep distance. This would have kept at least 25 to 50% of the economy running. We could have done the same for factories and other manufacturing units. Make the area well ventilated or filtered and try and keep workers apart. At least the units could have run at 50% capacity perhaps using two shifts.

Finally what makes me uneasy is the loss of our rights. Currently, even the courts have completely closed down and thus there is absolutely no oversight or relief available from any any abuse of power. If a person was detained by the police frivolously last week or happens to be detained now, there would be no hearing, no bail possible for many months. In addition, no clear guidelines have been issued as to whether a person can move on foot or in his vehicle for emergencies. It would have been better to allow one person per family to go out say every 3 days to purchase essential items in a radius of a few kms from their home. Again, China did this quite well and all we had to do was copy them. Currently, I have no idea if I go out to buy medicines or groceries or use and ATM, all of which are supposedly open as essential services, would I be allowed to go or would I be beaten or my vehicle seized? We have all seen videos of police beating people and seizing vehicles. In addition, this would create bad habits in these policemen where they would become accustomed to using force even after this is over.

In light of these factors, I think we would have done better to follow the Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan models where everything is open and people are keeping their distance and washing hands often. They seem to have kept the situation quite well under control. In addition, we should focus on ramping up production for medical supplies, build temporary hospitals in government buildings, universities etc to accommodate the surge of patients. If we cripple the supply chain beforehand and instill panic where even labourers and truck drivers have fled to their remote villages then how will we ramp up manufacturing to deal with the upcoming challenge ahead when needed?

[arjab]

Very well managed in Chennai. Went out in the morning to buy milk, bread, eggs, groceries etc.
Daily needs stores were open. No overcharging. Orderly queue. 5 to 8 people being allowed in at a time.
On my way back, police officers manning a police barricade, on Nungambakkam High Road, near Taj Coromandel hotel, asked why I was out.
Showed them the grocery bags and was immediately waved through.

One more thing I observed: People in Chennai are exercising exemplary self restraint and voluntarily not emerging out of their homes. The way it should be. No tendency of people to: "hey-let's-get-out-once-and-check-what's-going-on outside" attitude.
Lockdown is taken seriously here and I feel every Chennai'-ite deserve full credit for ensuring a calm and peaceful atmosphere.

[Nissan1180]

Supply chains are not prepared for this. A realistic analysis of the situation presented by the former executive editor of Aaj Tak, and one of India's most trustworthy journalists is available at the following link:

https://youtu.be/oCL66IWtdV0

A lot of people are supporting the police beating up people, and I really wish them well. It is difficult for them to accept that a much higher degree of professionalism can be expected especially after countries like South Korea and Singapore shared their lessons. Even Malaysia, which successfully implemented a lockdown, did not allow goods movement to be affected. To blame Indians for being lawless and disobedient and thus deserve a lathi charge for buying milk is just what the British would have done. But then again the administrative officers are a sad legacy of the colonial rule, so can't expect better.

Bigbasket etc are closed so that option is out.

Thoughts and prayers to all who got beaten up today for venturing out to buy essentials. Even doctors were heckled in one state.

And no, medicine, groceries like eggs are not available in many cities. It would be better to restrict a public display of insensitivity by calling those expecting to eat during this phase an anti-national (an esteemed member called me that on another thread).

[JithinR]

Originally Posted by Nissan1180

...Bigbasket etc are closed so that option is out. ..

Latest update from Bigbasket twitter account:

https://twitter.com/bigbasket_com/st...154891265?s=20

[AZT]

Originally Posted by Nissan1180

Thoughts and prayers to all who got beaten up today for venturing out to buy essentials. Even doctors were heckled in one state.

And no, medicine, groceries like eggs are not available in many cities. It would be better to restrict a public display of insensitivity by calling those expecting to eat during this phase an anti-national (an esteemed member called me that on another thread).

I support the lock down as there is no other way to deal with this but this calling people Anti National nonsense has to stop. I've found its the lowest IQ individuals in general who resort to such name calling. These are the same people who rely on random Facebook pages and whatsapp forwards for news so best to ignore such.
The supply chain concern is definitely valid, I was told bread is being sold out faster than they can replenish stocks and today was just day 1.

[fiestarry]

I had to venture out on a kitchen emergency and found the police very reasonable. Despite the enormous strain that the situation has posed on them, they are ensuring that people are safe. There are many people who are testing the patience of the police. There are some who are going on joy rides because of the open roads. Some citizens have a general aversion to obeying the law and will relentlessly pick on the overworked police and criticize them.
The police are exposed to the virus because of the nature of their job. Let us tolerate their irritation and help them by not moving around needlessly.

[JithinR]

Originally Posted by charanreddy

+ 1.

I have a mandatory doctor appointment in the first week of April and have the same concern. What’s the procedure for citizens to avail the said medical services in emergency and non avoidable situations.

This is good advice.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

See if the Doctor can email you a letter on his letter head stating you need to see him. Carry along some old medical papers. Talk calmly to the cops, answer their questions, give them the Doctors number and offer them the chance to call him/her. All of these together will work.

Additionally, I would try to tweet to the city police commissioner (see that you are in Bengaluru and these guys are really into twitter) and get his assurance that you would not be harassed (maybe assure him that you would have the papers Narayan sir quoted).

Stating this because I did see a tweet from someone whose mom/dad passed away in Belgavi (i think) and he did the same and the Commissioner responded with 'Condolences, proceed you won't be harassed'.

If you can show something like this to the constables at the checkpoint that would perhaps work even better than trying to make them understand your medical condition.

[bhphog]

I don't mean to sound obnoxious but it really is a genuine problem for a lot of people.

What about cigarettes?

Except 24/7, I believe there is no other source to buy it, am I right?
How long would the availablity be?