- Without taking recourse to beat around the bush, there is no harm in admitting candidly that the second covid wave is truly sweeping across the country in a few of the states. As it happened last year, the state of Maharashtra is ominously leading the way breaking the record every day in the confirmed infection rates alarmingly sending the administration into a tizzy. Sadly, the lessons learned in an extremely destructive way last year are not being implemented as one expects from mature and pragmatic government authorities in dealing with the vagaries of the pandemic. Knee-jerk reactions are being contemplated rather than time-honored measures having produced welcome results witnessed during these trying months.
PC: Hans News Service
- The Maharashtra government’s predicament in handling the situation which is fast turning into a crisis cannot be missed but noticed points to lack of clarity on the measures to flatten the rising curve. The Chief Minister’s directive to officials to prepare a roadmap for introducing lockdown as a measure has evoked strong reactions from all-around irrespective of political affiliations. Mulling to embrace lockdown as a measure poorly reflects an unyielding strategy that is only going to hurt small businesses and migrant laborers reminding us all over again of what transpired last year on the back of sudden lockdown.
- Rather than embrace suffocating measures like lockdown, all affected state governments should immediately enhance the testing numbers massively from the present negligible one thereby allowing the health authorities to zero-in on the infected at an early stage. This move also enables in tracing the primary and secondary contacts, testing those infected with the virus, and treating them before the onset of severe health difficulties including fatality. More the testing, the less likely the chance of the virus spiraling out of control. Yes, there is no way one can let go of the simplest of the measures to keep the virus at bay, wearing a mask without fail.
PC: Dustin York
- Mask covering nose and mouth has proved to be an effective tool to stay away from the infection and as such, it gets to my goat why there has been a lack of efforts in extolling the virtues of possessing the same by all the concerned authorities, including political leaders. It is sad optics when political leaders during election rallies letting go of the protection of masks sending wrong signals to the general public. And you expect people to follow suit! Common, show some real responsibility which is the need of the hour expected from leaders who are given the mandate to lead from the front rather than deviate irresponsibly.
- Another all-important measure is to speed up the process of vaccination by allowing the states to receive adequate doses to cover all those eligible for inoculation. Bureaucratic hurdles or centralized control in distributing the vaccine will inevitably delay the flattening of the virus curve much to the detriment of the nation. Concerted action plans without disturbing the all-important economic activities should guide the decision-makers from now on. No laxity, please!
