COVID-19 Outbreak: Social Distancing, New Nationwide Normal

Across the country, social distancing has now become the new normal. While it is being implemented by the authorities in many states and places, the odd instance of violations by irresponsible citizens, is also coming to light.

There have been reports of policemen being attacked in some places and these videos created widespread outrage. By and large, however, social distancing is being practised in all villages, towns and cities across the states in what is being seen as the biggest lockdown in history.

Media networks carried visuals of people standing in circles drawn in chalk two metres apart. In lines formed outside grocery stores in many parts of the country, people were mindful of keeping a safe distance from each other.

However, there were many cases highlighted in the media, of violations of the lockdown. In Delhi alone, police are reported to have detained more than a thousand people for violating lockdown norms. Elsewhere in the country, police have had to enforce the lockdown stringently and crack the whip on violators.

The Group of Minsters (GoM) has stated that legal action would be taken against those who violated the mandatory 14-day quarantine protocol spelt out by the authorities.

Bollywood stars have been sharing videos of their workouts and other routines during the lockdown period. Among them are Sara Ali Khan, Malaika Arora, Kangana Ranaut, Jacqueline Fernandez and Deepika Padukone-Ranveer Singh.