THE AFTERMATH

Change is inevitable, but when forced, it tends to take a toll on life. Corona has done just that. As the war against COVID-19 pandemic continues, we need to prepare ourselves for the post-corona world

- POOJA BOOPATHY

On March 19, 2020, hundreds of thousands of Indians were glued to their television screens to see prime minister Narendra Modi address the nation following the coronavirus outbreak in the country. The Centre announced a one-day complete lockdown on March 25, 2020. And then it began…

The one-day ‘Janata Curfew’ spun out into several extended lockdowns with experimental relaxations every now and then. Companies from all sectors shut operations while some tried to keep things functional with a ‘work from home’ clause. Pay cuts, unemployment, recession, mass lay-offs, loss of livelihoods, shrinking income, lack of essential supplies, starvation; the aftermath was indeed unprecedented.

What started in China spread across the continents and eventually reached India and Goa. COVID-19 became the talk of the town. Increasing numbers of positive cases, recoveries and deaths; that’s all one could hear.