ANOTHER CURVE

The world witnesses a rare urban-to-rural exodus amid lockdowns and loss of livelihoods. Will our villages be able to support the millions of people again who had migrated due to distress conditions at home?

- RICHARD MAHAPATRA

FOUR MONTHS into the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is at a crossroads. On the one hand the virus continues to appear in newer places, infecting thousands every day and forcing countries to extend their lockdown. But on the other hand, those already under COVID-19 lockdown for over six weeks in India are desperate to break free and resume economic activities at the earliest as millions have already lost livelihoods. And, as they ready to be out of this unprecedented situation, the world witnesses another challenge: a never-before-experienced exodus of people from economically active urban areas into their already distressed rural homes. They also carry back the threat of COVID-19 to areas that have so far remained untouched by the pandemic. In May, the pandemic will show its other deadly side.

On April 26, Spain allowed children under 14 to venture out though with stringent guidelines. They can go out for an hour in a day; they must be accompanied by parents or guardians; they must remain within one kilometer of their residence, and they must adhere to social distancing mechanisms. They will stroll only as parks and playgrounds remain closed. Still, as television channels beamed, there were smiling faces. As one parent said, after a lockdown of 40 days, small joys like feeling the fresh air on the face made it appear like a rebirth. And this is despite the 24,275 deaths and 213,000 infections as on April 30, which have transformed this European country known for tourism into a graveyard of despairs. The country is finally limping back to normalcy. From May 2, adults would also be allowed to exercise and stroll outside. The epidemiological curve has been flattened in Spain, and would soon be squashed going by experts.