Pandemic and panic: On Tamil Nadu’s five-city lockdown

The Tamil Nadu government’s order magnifying the lockdown in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruppur and Salem from April 26 briefly convulsed these cities with panic, threatening to undo the gains achieved from preventing crowding, maintaining physical distancing and preparing the public for an adjusted exit from constraints. If the idea was to halt the increasing rate of infections, which cumulatively touched 1,821 on April 25, the federal government’s announcement of a ‘complete lockdown’ was disadvantageous. Thousands crowded supermarket, veggie shops and gas pumps to stock up, numerous overlooking security standards. Anxiety over access to important goods, particularly among people who do not store posts for extended periods, triggered panic purchasing. Confusion also marked the concern of brand-new passes for shipment representatives in locations such as Madurai, bring in enormous crowds. Such cha