Millions of workers in India are being forced to return home as the country intensifies efforts to counter the rising threat of coronavirus (COVID-19). In late March 2020, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the entire country of roughly 1.3 billion people would be under lockdown for at least 21 days. The decision has been praised by health professionals; however, the move has also been catastrophic for millions of migrant workers. As shops, restaurants, and factories in cities shut their doors, wages have subsequently evaporated. Most trains and buses have also been suspended, leaving many with no choice other than to return home on foot, many walking hundreds of miles.
The exodus has caused massive crowds to form across the country as people attempt to cram onto the last available modes of transportation. Such massive crowds of impoverished workers will likely exacerbate the spread of COVID-19 as they illustrate the country’s difficulty in enforcing social distancing. Thus, India is at high risk of becoming a future epicenter for COVID-19 given the country’s low testing numbers, high population density, and relatively weak public health system.
