Crowds at pubs across London are a warning to authorities across the world that an unplanned opening is a stupid idea
Crowds at pubs across the UK were enough to put the fear of God into an atheist bureaucrat as that nation attempted to open up. But this should not have come as a surprise to the authorities as similar things have happened in the US. Part of this is seen as privilege in these nations where young White people have deliberately been abusing their rights to go out, egged on by politicians pandering to them. However, as a result of the massive crowds, it is now becoming apparent that possibly hundreds and maybe thousands of new Coronavirus cases might spread.
As authorities in several Indian cities plan how to open up restaurants and bars, they should look very carefully at what has been happening in Western nations that have tried to open up. Even though the Government of India has been relatively successful in spreading a fear of the virus among the population, economic necessity has led millions to go out into the streets. However, while malls and restaurants in Delhi are open, footfalls have been very limited. In crowded Mumbai, locals might want to go out to escape the confines of their small houses. Is the city prepared for a subsequent increase in its caseload? There is little doubt that the dining and drinking business has been affected more than most by the lockdown and social distancing norms. They can do with the patronage but that does not mean that opening up should be done without any precaution. It seems that major Indian cities are almost at the peak of the virus; things seem to be improving slowly and the total number of cases, too, appears to be coming down. We do not know for sure how much the virus has spread to India’s interiors but the urban situation is improving. Governments are keen to get the economy running again but as the spread of the virus at Bajaj Auto’s factory proves, we have to be careful about how we open up operations. India cannot afford a badly planned opening and the privileged classes will have to see how bad the scene in London has been before they start going out.