Question

Subject: Government

Write two-page paper critiquing the government’s handling of the Coronavirus outbreak. Make sure to use and cite at least three sources. You may use any citation format that you like the best but you MUST use three sources. This is a Texas government class so you have the option for either focus on our Texas government’s response, your local government’s response, the federal government’s handling of the outbreak OR you can pick another country, and focus on their handling of the outbreak in their country. Your paper can include your personal thoughts on how the government’s handling has impacted you.

Answer 1

India handled the virus and took mitigation, methods right at the start of the spread. On of the first states in India to get was Kerala and today its the first to have more recovered cases than positive cases, soon the central government took certain steps following the path of the Kerala Government and also initiating certain macro steps such as -

1. closing down borders for trade, with certain exceptions for pharmaceuticals

2. complete lockdown in the country for 21 days extended to a month plus, but the lockdown was done in phases so that the effect on human behavior is not altogether  

3. The government provided a list of all essential items which are functioning like online services for grocery so that people did not have to step out of their homes for purchase

4. The state government provided free rations to houses and especially elderly (It consisted of rice, pulses, sugar, and certain essentials)

5. The government started an app that has every citizen enrolled and that app tracks down a person's travel history in the last couple of days and also if he /she is living in a red zone of the virus. This helps people to be aware and take precautions. This helps the government too as they are able to track down positive virus cases.

6. The government has also tried working on bringing the nation together by certain initiatives like, on certain days everyone has to come out of their houses (balcony)to clap, or light a candle for praying and thanking all the COVID front line fighters.

7. The government has started a PM care fund where various institutions, organizations, and individuals are contributing which is used for fighting towards the virus. The state employees and government employees have also had a cut in salary and this cut amount has gone towards the fund.

8. Certain state governments have prepared the Public schools and stadium as quarantine wards for future contingencies.

The negative implication of the lockdown policy has been predominantly on the migrant workers who were left homeless and poverty-stricken due to no wage and no travel as India has a high number of daily wage workers who have migrated from different parts. This led to an exodus of daily wage workers to bus stations and railways station on the day lockdown was announced, but due to the closure were stuck in the stands and stations. Some migrant workers even started walking down to their home which was nearly 600 to 800 km. The government should have given a certain notice period so that the migrant workers could have traveled back and this kind of stampede would have been avoided. WHO and other international organizations have praised India for its mitigation and adaptation strategies which have become a model for certain other economies.