Lockdown 4.0: 81% seek relaxations in red zones with due cautions, finds survey

As the Centre is getting ready to take a decision on how to proceed after the Lockdown 3.0 ends on May 17, an online survey has found that the majority of people want the government to extend relaxations to red zones, while ensuring all due caution.

Out of the 12,500 people polled on Tuesday, 81 percent said that they want lockdown to be relaxed in the red zones, outside the high virus load districts, so that all offices, markets, and businesses can operate social distancing norms. The other 16 percent full lockdown should continue for two more weeks and the remaining 3 percent did not have an opinion.

For the high virus load districts, only 54 percent backed lockdown relaxations. High virus load districts have been identified by the Niti Aayog as areas that have reported 500 or more cases of Covid-19. These areas include Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Pune, Indore, Thane, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Surat, Kolkata, Agra, Hyderabad, and Bhopal.

On being asked about their opinion on the government’s approach towards these districts, 45 percent said full lockdown should continue for two more weeks in these districts. Nineteen percent said lockdown should be significantly relaxed and all offices, markets, businesses to be allowed to operate with social distancing norms, while 35 percent said lockdown should be somewhat relaxed and only offices at 33 percent capacity and standalone shops should be permitted to open.

In the survey conducted on May 3 by an online social media platform LocalCircles, 74 percent of respondents had said that the high virus load districts should be kept under complete lockdown and no relaxations should be given there. This number has come down to 45 percent as on May 12The respondents were also asked if the government allows airlines, trains, and buses to operate, how do they foresee their personal travel in the coming three months given the Covid-19 situation. In response, the majority 72 percent - said they will not travel unless it is an emergency. Nine percent said they will not travel at all, 11 percent said they will surely travel while 4 percent said they will likely travel.

The LocalCircles survey had 12,500 respondents from over 228 districts. Around 63 percent of respondents were male and 37 percent female. Fifteen percent of people who participated in the survey live in tier 3 town, 22 percent in tier 2, and 63 percent in tier 1.