It’s now day 96 of the lockdown in India. The unlock phase continues across most of the country but some major cities including Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai have reimposed the lockdown restrictions to reduce the rate of infections. Across the country the number of cases is rapidly increasing as workers return to their home villages. On Sunday there was an eclipse of the sun which was partially visible from Coorg. A couple of days before the eclipse the neighbours informed me that Madikeri town would be closed on Sunday. I didn’t understand the connection until the neighbour’s son explained to me that the locals are very superstitious. They believe that…

It is now day 89 of the lockdown in India. The country continues the process of ‘unlocking’ in those areas with low rates of infections but more strict lockdown restrictions have been re-introduced in localised districts where the infection rate is high. Most tourist attractions in Coorg remain closed although some wildlife reserves have re-opened. The monsoon is now in full swing. For the past week it stops raining for about 2 hours and then restarts again. Sometimes the showers are light and last for a few hours while other times the rain is heavy and accompanied by strong winds which last for around an hour before disappearing. I was…

It is now day 82 of the lockdown in India.  On Monday the country began the first ‘unlock’ phase as part of lockdown 5.0.  This permitted all shops, malls and restaurants to reopen as long as social distancing measures as are adhered to.  Hotels and homestay were also allowed to reopen but have many restrictions in place.  The unlock process looks like it will be a slow process as this week very few restaurants reopened around Madikeri but the town was busy as more shops and businesses reopened.  The number of Covid cases across India is rapidly increasing as migrant labourers return to their home towns and villages. The peak…

It’s now day 76 of the lockdown in India.  Lockdown 5.0 started on Monday with a further relaxation of restrictions in the green zones. From Monday 8th June the country will start Unlock 1.0 with restaurants and hotels allowed to reopen but there will continue to be a ban on large gatherings, tourist attractions will remain closed and the wearing of face masks in public will continue to be compulsory.  The focus has shifted to controlling the virus spread in the hot spots areas (mainly the larger cities) and individual states will be able to decide if interstate travel will be permitted.  The number of corona cases in India is…