Why Total Lock Down Will Not Work?

Lock Down is a feared amongst communities. It prevents work hours, social hours and other outdoor recreational activities. Governments have called it quarantine. According to Merriam-Webster, to quarantine(verb) means to keep (a person or animal) away from others to prevent a disease from spreading.

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However, some warriors of social media have proposed and pushed for a Total Lock down or a complete stoppage on movement of people other than Front liners such as hospital workers, law enforcement, government officials and other essential needs. The proposals involves shut down of ATM machines, supermarkets, groceries or anything that sell consumer goods for 2 weeks.

This will not work because life will as we know it will never be the same unless we have a vaccine & cure. Let’s say a city will “flattens the curve” or achieve 0 infections for 2 weeks and students are allowed back to school or agents are allowed back to their call centres, one infection will pretty much cancel that. Then we’re back to square one.

The only thing we can do for now is to stop the spread, give our health workers a breather(along with their families) and wait for a cure.

For the mean time, here’s what we would recommend since we still have to go to the market, run errands, make deliveries or receive welfare.

1. Be Systematic
   Supermarkets are systematic because there are guards that make people line up. People respect that line. However, with informal vendors, people stop and go as they please. A leader, either from the vendor’s association or someone from the LGU should put a system for people to follow. Paint on the street, create barriers for people walking by vs people looking to buy from vendors. Prevent Vendors from occupying the sidewalk so that can be used for customers instead of their tables.

2. Penalties For People That Violate It
   It is extremely unfair for families that have struggled to stay home to prevent the spread while others will receive the same benefits(or more) even if they do not follow the guidelines. They should either be banned from hospitals or be listed as last priority. This can also be available for any welfare given such as relief goods.

3. Have LivelyHood Programs
   Someone has to find a way for people to earn while we are on quarantine. Otherwise, the poor and lower middle class will be highly reliant on the money left with the government. Maybe one representative per household will do and it’s better than nothing.
4. Use Empty Lots for Planting Vegetables
   We’ll never know how long the quarantine will run and cannot blame the government for it. Lifting the quarantine pre-maturely pretty much ensures hospital parking lots will serve as morgues. Having vegetables around might put more of our farmers out of business but it hopefully ensures more people will have access to healthy food.

1. Be Systematic Supermarkets are systematic because there are guards that make people line up. People respect that line. However, with informal vendors, people stop and go as they please. A leader, either from the vendor’s association or someone from the LGU should put a system for people to follow. Paint on the street, create barriers for people walking by vs people looking to buy from vendors. Prevent Vendors from occupying the sidewalk so that can be used for customers instead of their tables. Bluementrit 2. Penalties For People That Violate It It is extremely unfair for families that have struggled to stay home to prevent the spread while others will receive the same benefits(or more) even if they do not follow the guidelines. They should either be banned from hospitals or be listed as last priority. This can also be available for any welfare given such as relief goods. Nova Pic 3. Have LivelyHood Programs Someone has to find a way for people to earn while we are on quarantine. Otherwise, the poor and lower middle class will be highly reliant on the money left with the government. Maybe one representative per household will do and it’s better than nothing. 4. Use Empty Lots for Planting Vegetables We’ll never know how long the quarantine will run and cannot blame the government for it. Lifting the quarantine pre-maturely pretty much ensures hospital parking lots will serve as morgues. Having vegetables around might put more of our farmers out of business but it hopefully ensures more people will have access to healthy food.