The Unlocking Spree Begins Amid The Inevitable Risks Of Another Looming Wave!
The national
capital region Delhi, with the positivity rate coming down below 1%, has also started
the process of unlocking with its overenthusiastic-as-ever Chief Minister
seemingly showing a hurry to open up things faster, the same hurry he had shown
during the first wave of the pandemic that led to additional waves in the capital.
He has opened up almost everything, albeit with his odd-even obsession, and
also started the metro train services at 50% capacity without any categorization of passengers. He even said during his unlock speech that Delhi
is to prepare for tackling 37000-a-day infections; before saying this he should
have understood what that kind of daily figures would mean for the number of
possible unfortunate deaths; he must keep on improving the health infra no
doubt, but first he should take all measures to prevent a horrendous wave let
loose again.
Both Delhi and
Maharashtra, I think, have gone a little wrong in opening up the govt/private
offices at 50% attendance whereas a 20-30% attendance would have been more
discrete; because, particularly in Maharashtra, the availability of the public transport services are still not concomitant with the set-to-increase demand with the local
trains still running only for essential employees, and the almost inevitable allowing
of the buses to run at 100% capacity, although only seating passengers, is like going a bit too fast.
What the country
has experienced and still going through during the monstrous second wave of the
COVID-19 pandemic is wholly due to the complete lack of anticipation,
preparation and the willingness to pay heed to common knowledge and experts’ opinions
abundantly available all the time. The focus had been, on the contrary, on
holding assembly, panchayat and what-not elections, the observance of religious
festivals and unrestricted partying at all levels, and we are already watching
with horror the government’s obsession in the next year’s elections, despite
the fact that a lot of information has been made available regarding the
impending third wave that can pick out children and young adults as its special
targets. There is just no room for one more mistake. Every single
administrative unit of the country must prepare in advance and at the slightest
indication must enforce the curbs again. Unfortunately, vaccination has
suffered a major setback at a time when it should have been really ramped up to
protect as many people as possible, at least from the severe form of the disease
after infection.
The Government of India has been saying that from July 2021 onward administering of the jabs would be accelerated and by the end of the year everybody, as per the present above-18 guideline, will be vaccinated. We have no better option but to believe the government and hope for the best. It is also to be noted that daily infections figures in the last 24 hours are still above the 1-Lakh mark which is still higher than the first-wave peak of 97000, and the daily fatality figures are still around 2500. Further, scares like long COVID, secondary infections and Black Fungus are still upsetting peoples’ minds across the country. Caution is the word; the only word now for all governments and citizens.
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