Coronavirus or Covid-19 has brought the whole world to a standstill. Stock markets are crashing and the world trade market is threatened. With hundreds and thousands of deaths being reported all over the globe, each country is trying to tackle the coronavirus in its own way, sometimes similar to the others and sometimes quite different. The United States and Italy are one of the hardest-hit regions by the coronavirus other than its origin i.e China.
The virus originated in the city of Wuhan in China and spread throughout the globe within a couple of months, and came to be known as a pandemic. The exact origin of the virus is however unclear, but it has already claimed many lives and if not controlled further, might lead to more fatalities and destruction. There were a total of 740,239 cases of the virus worldwide, out of which 156,588 of them recovered and 35,035 deaths, according to Worldmeters.info.
Let’s have a look at different strategies used by countries to tackle the Coronavirus
China
It seems appropriate to begin with the country where the virus originated. According to Worldmeters.info, China reported more than 81,000 cases out of whicharound 96% of them(75,700) recovered and were discharged as of March 30th. More than 3,000 lives were claimed with more than 2,000 active cases. The people of Wuhan were confined to their homes for more than 50 days with a policy controlling their movements. China built hospitals in 10 days and treated the affected with the utmost care.The lockdown in Wuhan began on January 23rd, just before their Lunar New Year’s, giving people little or no time to prepare. With people under strict lockdowns, no resident was allowed to leave their homes even to get groceries. They had to rely on delivery agents for food and other necessities. Even if they wanted any cold medicine, they had to report their temperature and personal details. Hospitals also relied on the couriers to deliver medication and the delivery agents had to wear hazmat suits. China also rewarded citizens who reported cases of those failing to follow the quarantine orders. Their measures were quite strict and will be difficult to implement in democratic countries. However, they have contained the coronavirus situation and stopped the spread.
Italy
After China came under control, the cases in Italy went quite high and currently, there are more than 97,000 confirmed cases of the virus, with more than 13,000 recovered cases and 10,000 deaths. Due to the lack of preventive measures in Italy, the cases of coronavirus shot up and affected their population badly. Due to such conditions, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte declared a red zone where all public gatherings are to be avoided and people to self-quarantine themselves unless for work or other necessities. All sporting events also have been suspended until April 3rd. The PM raised awareness of how dangerous the virus is and the negligence of the population might lead to further problems. All museums, theatres, schools, and universities have been closed until April 3rd to ensure no public gathering occurs. Bars and restaurants have to be closed by 6 pm and all malls and supermarkets are closed during the weekends. Moving between towns requires a signing from the police certifying the purpose, that is for work or emergencies. The Economic Minister also announced that mortgage payments will be suspended throughout the nation. With such strict measures in place, Italy hopes to control the virus outbreak and save their population.
United States
The United States reported more than 140,000 cases of the virus with more than 4,000 recovered and 2,000 deaths. The government has not announced any nationwide measures other than restricting travelers from other countries. However, in New York City, the National Guard was deployed to deliver food to homes and help to clean the public places. Schools and churches were closed and public gatherings were banned for two weeks. In California’s Santa Clara County, gatherings of more than 1000 people were banned. Any violators can face shut down by the police with possible fines and arrests. With school employees being tested positive for the virus, various school districts have been put under lockdown. Colleges have also closed their doors and moved to online classes. The President of the United States, Donald Trump has also said that he will waive payroll tax cuts for those who are financially affected by the virus.
South Korea
South Korea reported more than 9,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus with more than 5,000 recovered and 150 deaths. The nation shut down schools until March 22nd, and urged its people to stay indoors for the foreseeable future to control the virus. Many offices have been closed and events are being canceled in response to the outbreak of the virus. The city of Deagu has reported the largest outbreaks in the country with more than three-quarters of the cases being reported there. The streets are empty, shops and restaurants closed, and the people have stocked up on instant noodles to avoid leaving their homes. They have set up modern testing clinics, where people can get their medical exams done in around 10 minutes.
India
India has reported more than 1,000 cases with more than 100 recovered and 29 deaths. One of the first cases of the virus was reported in Kerala, in the Southern part of India, due to individuals flying in from abroad. Ever since, restrictions have been imposed on traveling and various travelers at risk have been tested and quarantined. On March 19th the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi addressed the nation and asked the people to follow Janata Curfew(stay-at-home campaign) for 14 hours to control the virus outbreak and to appreciate the frontline responders for the virus. On 24th March, the PM again addressed the nation and announced a nationwide lockdown for 21 days starting on the 25th. Since then, various offices, shops, restaurants, schools, and universities have been shut down to avoid any public gathering and social distancing has been encouraged. Essential shops have been allowed to operate to provide the necessities.
Conclusion
Despite various measures being implemented, there is a rise in the number of cases of the virus, however with proper measures we can tackle the coronavirus.