Curfews as US shuts down to fight coronavirus
New York: The United States has began restricting citizens' movements in a major escalation of attempts to contain the deadly coronavirus pandemic, as President Donald Trump warned the crisis could last well into the summer.
New Jersey state and San Francisco announced curfews and Trump asked Americans on Monday to restrict gatherings to groups of fewer than 10 as the US dramatically ramped up efforts to stop the spread of the fast-moving outbreak.
Trump acknowledged for the first time that the US economy "may be" heading into a recession because of the pandemic that has killed more than 7,000 people worldwide as Wall Street stocks had their worst day since 1987, plunging almost 13 percent.
As America followed European nations in shutting down schools, public buildings, cinemas, restaurants and bars, Trump suggested the crisis would last several months at least in the United States.
"So it seems to me that if we do a really good job... people are talking about July, August, something like that," Trump told reporters at the White House.
"So it could be right in that period of time where it, I say, it washes through."
His comments came after Canada announced it was closing its borders to most foreign travelers and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said he was restricting movement across the state, which borders New York City.
"Effective tonight, all other non-essential retail, recreational, and entertainment businesses MUST CLOSE after 8:00 PM," said Murphy.
"All non-essential and non-emergency travel in New Jersey is strongly discouraged between the hours of 8:00 PM and 5:00 AM This will remain in effect for the foreseeable future. We want everyone to be home -- and not out," he added.
Later, San Francisco passed a "remain-in-place" order requiring millions of residents to stay at home unless absolutely essential.
Before the twin announcements, only the US territory of Puerto Rico had imposed a curfew, from 9pm to 5am -- along with the closure of malls, movie theatres, gyms and bars.
The White House denied reports that Trump was considering a nationwide lockdown but the president said he might ask the military to help build temporary hospitals.
He added that postponing elections over the coronavirus crisis was "unnecessary," even as Ohio's governor called for the state's presidential primary vote scheduled for Tuesday to be delayed.
Normally bustling streets, transport networks and roads were eerily quiet across US cities Monday as employees worked from home and children contemplated weeks with no classes to attend.
New York -- the city that usually never sleeps -- began hunkering down for an extended period of inactivity with all nightclubs, theaters, cinemas and concert venues ordered to close from Tuesday.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said late Sunday that the Big Apple's normally hectic bars and restaurants would be restricted to take-out and delivery only.
He also bowed to pressure and announced the closure of New York's schools, which educate 1.1 million students, until April 20.
Los Angeles is also closing bars, restaurants and nightclubs for at least two weeks, while California's Governor Gavin Newsom asked people over the age of 65 to self-isolate.
The governor of Illinois, which includes the city of Chicago, announced that bars and restaurants would close until March 30.
Several major Las Vegas casinos and hotels were shuttered, and party town New Orleans issued guidelines halving the capacity of bars and clubs.
Schools, museums, and sports arenas have already been shut as Americans adjust. Broadway's lights dimmed last week while the major St Patrick's Day parades in New York and Boston due Tuesday have been scrapped.
"I think the lockdown is a good idea to get ahead of the virus. I'll guess we'll have to make some sacrifices," 52-year-old customer Laura Gerlach told AFP at a New York deli.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that from midday Wednesday only Canadian citizens and permanent residents would be allowed in. US citizens are exempted.
In the US, 74 people have died and more than 4,200 have been infected, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
In Washington, leaders of the G7 industrial powerhouses pledged to safeguard the economy a day after the Fed cut the key interest rate to almost zero to help shore up confidence.
Meanwhile, major US airlines said they would cut capacity by at least 50 percent as they pleaded for a bailout of some USD50 billion.
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Ballari violence: Were cops made scapegoats to cover political failure?
Bengaluru: Across Karnataka, a serious discussion has begun after the violence in Ballari and the swift action taken against police officers who were on the ground that day. The core question being asked is simple: when law and order fails, why are police officers the first to be shown the door, while political responsibility is quietly pushed aside?
The January 1 clash in Ballari was not a sudden street fight. It was a political confrontation involving supporters of two sitting MLAs. A banner related to the unveiling of a Valmiki statue became the flashpoint. What followed was stone-pelting, firing, and the death of a Congress worker. The situation spiralled within hours.
Within a day, Ballari SP Pavan Nejjur was suspended. Soon after, senior officers were reshuffled. Deputy Inspector General of Police Vartika Katiyar was transferred. No official reason was cited in the notification. But the timing made one thing clear: accountability, at least on paper, had been fixed.
Since then, there has been unease within police circles and political debate outside it.
Unconfirmed reports that Nejjur attempted suicide after his suspension were firmly denied by senior officers and the home minister. They said he was safe, resting, and under stress. Still, the very fact that such reports gained traction says something about the pressure officers feel when action is taken overnight, without public clarity.
Opposition leaders have called Nejjur a scapegoat, pointing out that he had taken charge only hours before the violence. They have asked how an officer can be blamed for a political clash he barely had time to assess. They have also drawn parallels with earlier incidents where police leadership was suspended after tragedies, while political decision-making remained untouched.
However, responding to this criticism, Home Minister G Parameshwara rejected the argument that the suspension was unfair because Nejjur had assumed charge only hours earlier. “It is not important whether he reported to duty on the same day (of incident) or one hour back. Duty is duty. He is not new to the department. IPS officers are trained to handle such situations any time. If he had acted swiftly and promptly, he could have prevented the situation from escalating.” He had said adding that Nejjur did not discharge his duties properly and that this was the reason for his suspension.
Now, fresh and unconfirmed reports suggest that Vartika Katiyar may have met a senior cabinet minister, questioning why she was made to pay the price for a situation that was political in nature. There is no official confirmation of this meeting. But the talk itself has added fuel to the debate.
What is being discussed in the state is not whether the police made mistakes. Many acknowledge that the situation on January 1 was mishandled. A clash earlier in the day was allowed to cool down without strong preventive action. Later, a banner came up near a politically sensitive location. The crowd should not have been allowed to build up. Better anticipation was needed.
At the same time, critics are asking whether the entire burden can be placed on officers when the trigger itself was political rivalry. Who installed the banner? Who mobilised supporters? Who had armed private gunmen present at the spot? These are questions that are still part of the investigation, yet administrative punishment moved faster than political accountability.
This has led to a wider comparison with past incidents, including the Bengaluru stampede after the RCB victory celebrations. There too, police officers were suspended after lives were lost, while decisions taken at higher levels were defended as unavoidable. Many are now saying Ballari fits into the same pattern.
The argument being made is not that the police are blameless. The argument is that responsibility appears to stop at the uniform. When things go wrong, officers are transferred or suspended to send a message. But when the violence is rooted in political rivalry, that message feels incomplete.
Within police ranks, there is also quiet concern about working conditions. Officers say they are expected to manage volatile political situations overnight, often with little room to push back against powerful interests. When things hold, they are invisible. When they collapse, they stand alone.
The Ballari episode has once again exposed this fault line.
For the government, the challenge is larger than one suspension or transfer. The real test is whether it is willing to publicly acknowledge political failures when law and order breaks down, instead of letting the system suggest that the police alone dropped the ball.
For now, what remains is a growing feeling across Karnataka that accountability is selective. And that whenever politics turns violent, the easiest answer is to change the officers, not the decisions that led to the violence in the first place.
