Lockdowns' are of two kinds. Those that serve a clear purpose - breaking the chain of infection, buying time to ramp up public healthcare - and go with more testing, effective contact tracing, isolating, protecting yourself & others (masking, hand hygiene, avoiding crowds, etc.).

The second kind of lockdown arises out of mindless desperation, muddled thinking and, in some cases, out of an authoritarian mindset. It shows insensitivity to the plight of ordinary people, the lives & livelihood of working folk, and more generally to the state of the economy.

A lockdown to what end? Will testing be ramped up? Will there be better contact tracing? Can we avoid a situation where hospitals & public health facilities are overwhelmed? Can policy-makers do a better job of communicating with the public, promoting behavioural change?