As cases of the Omicron variant surges, states like Delhi, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh among several others have put various restrictions in place, including night curfews.
While the move is expected to compel restaurants, bars, pubs, and other public places to shut their shops earlier than usual, the lack of any restrictions or protocols being followed during the day has once again got Twitterati questioning the logic behind 'night curfews'.
Are Night Curfews Effective?
While the debate has been reignited on social media, several experts have analysed in the past that such curbs are hardly effective and are mere 'optics'.
Dr Chandrakant Lahariya – a medical doctor, epidemiologist, public policy, and health systems expert – took to Twitter to slam the night curfews and said that the COVID-19 task forces in the state advising such moves to the governments should be "dismissed".
"Every state that has announced Night curfew for preventing COVID-19 should urgently & permanently disband their state COVID-19 Task forces. Either the C-19 task forces are not advising the governments right or the Govts are not paying heed to their advice (sic)," he tweeted.
Dr Shahid Jameel, virologist and director of the Trivedi School of Biosciences at Ashoka University, had told Quint FIT in an earlier interview that lockdowns have an immediate effect but curfews are of little help.
“Limited lockdowns are inevitable, although night and weekend curfews are of little help and are more for optics," he had said.
Curfews Questioned on Twitter
Several took to Twitter to either point out the need of better health infrastructures or restrictions during the day to curb the spread of the virus.
Many others took to humour to question the move.
In Maharashtra, there is a ban on gatherings of more than five persons in public places at night, from 9 pm to 6 am. The ban in Delhi is between 10 pm and 5 am.
The Uttar Pradesh government too has brought back the night curfew between 11 pm and 5 am.
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