India's Reopening Is a Multicolored Mess
Slicing the country into green, orange and red zones will be ineffective. Fiscal support is what is really needed.
Need a drink? You’re not alone.
Photographer: Yawar Nazir/Getty Images
India is reopening, but apart from tipplers who were a little too thrilled about buying their first liquor in 43 days, a partial end to the world’s harshest coronavirus lockdown is failing to bring cheer. Anxiety still clouds the outlook amid a lack of meaningful fiscal help for workers and companies.
Starting Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government relaxed restrictions on the production, sale and transport of goods in districts identified as green and orange. However, virus hot spots designated as red zones remain under strict curbs on any activity deemed nonessential. Since 53% of economic output comes from these densely packed clusters, is it reasonable to declare India as half open? Even that may be an exaggeration.