Lockdown has to end: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

Bengaluru: With the exodus of migrant labour back to their home states, there is no case for extending the COVID-19-induced lockdown any longer, according to biotechnology veteran Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, who said the focus now should be to bring any outbreak under control quickly.

The Executive Chairperson of Bengaluru-headquartered biotech major Biocon Ltd said on Thursday their return without controls would cause infections and the states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan should be prepared to meet the possible surge.

“The Lockdown has to end. What we really need now is prepare for tracking any outbreak and quickly bringing it under control. That has to be our strategy going forward. You cannot go on increasing the lockdown,” Mazumdar-Shaw told PTI.

“I think now there is anyway no point in extending the lockdown because of exodus of the migrant labour; they have basically gone to various parts of the country without any controls. So, now there is no point trying to extend lockdown any further. Now, its a question of quickly bringing under control any outbreak,” she said.

On her assessment of the COVID-19 situation in the country, Mazumdar-Shaw said Mumbai and some other “serious spots” where the infections were surging in an uncontrollable rate are now beginning to see flattening of the curve.

“But you are going to have surges in the country after this migrant labour has gone back to Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. So, there, we have to be prepared because migrant labour exodus that happened will cause infections and that is where we need to be controlling it,” she said.

One should anticipate and be prepared for infection rates to go up in places like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, Mazumdar-Shaw added.