Covid-19: Second Wave Recedes But The Danger Remains
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
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By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2021-06-16 02:39:00
About the Author
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
View all posts by this Author
The second Covid wave is receding. The figures put out by the Health ministry are reassuring. The weekly positivity rate for the week June 8-14 has fallen to 4.8% from the high of 21.4% recorded in the week May 4-10. This is below the 5% upper limit of WHO. Fresh cases had touched a high of 414188 on May 7. There were just 60471 cases on June 14. From 531 districts reporting 100 new cases every day in the week ending May 4, the number dropped to only 165. Active cases have gone below 10 lakh, which is a 75.6% decline from the peak reached on May 10. Te recovery rate has improved from 81.8 percent on May 3 to 95.6% now. The Centre has said that though gains have been made, precautions have to be followed strictly to ensure that these are not washed away as restrictions are being eased in many states.
The government has to ensure that there is no let up in testing, tracing and containment. The focus must now be on districts that are still reporting over 100 daily cases. A policy of having micro containment zones to curb the spread must be followed. Infrastructure upgraded in the second wave must not be dismantled or removed. Oxygen plants must be commissioned at all major hospitals in the country. The vaccination drive must be made stronger and people must be jabbed faster. Walk-in vaccination must be allowed wherever possible. Above all, all states must be ordered to enforce Covid protocols and strictly use the penalties under the Disaster Management Act to ensure that people comply.
The people on their part must strictly follow Covid protocols. It is for their own safety and well-being as also of their fellow citizens. They must go out of their homes only if it is absolutely necessary. They must wear masks, double masks if possible, and maintain physical distance wherever possible. They must avoid crowding. Hands must be washed or sanitized frequently. Just because shops and malls have opened does not mean that we can go out and indulge in window shopping or lounging. It is very risky. So go out only if you need to. Work from home if possible or go to office taking all necessary precautions. Above all, get vaccinated and take the second dose on time. The third wave can be prevented or its effect minimized only if we follow the protocols strictly.
