Covid Situation: Time To Lift Extra Curbs
Linus tackles things head-on. He takes sides in his analysis and it fits excellently with our editorial policy. No 'maybe's' and 'allegedly' for him, only things in black and white.
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By Linus Garg
First publised on 2022-02-17 16:28:32
About the Author
Linus tackles things head-on. He takes sides in his analysis and it fits excellently with our editorial policy. No 'maybe's' and 'allegedly' for him, only things in black and white.
View all posts by this Author
It is good that the Centre has asked the states and UTs to review the Covid situation in their respective areas and take necessary steps to lift extra curbs to allow movement of people and restoration of economic activities. Even before the Centreâs advisory, many states have been proactive and have lifted curbs to bring the situation back to normal as cases have been steadily declining and the positivity rate is much below the WHO recommended threshold. While Assam became the first and only state, till now, to do away with all restrictions, other states have lifted or eased weekend and night curfews while reopening markets and schools for younger children and easing other restrictions to allow economic activities in full.
This is a much needed positive development. The declining positivity rate is a pointer that there is no community transmission in India. If there is cluster transmission in some districts, it can easily be controlled through local restrictions. There is no threat to life and hence there should be no threat to livelihoods. Opening up of economic activities would go a long way in reducing the distress among people who lost their jobs or are working on reduced salaries. If businesses prosper, demand for workers will increase and salaries will also rise.
But the Centre has also asked states and UTs to be vigilant and conduct a daily review of data. That is absolutely essential as new variants can slip in and if the guard is let down, may infect a large number of people in a matter of days. Hence, it is also necessary to encourage people to wear the mask in public and wash/sanitize their hands regularly. It will not be possible to maintain physical distancing after the opening up as India is a densely populated country, but masking and hygiene must be adhered to for some more months. In addition to that, testing of symptomatic persons must go on. The vaccination drive must also not be slackened and teens must be given the second dose timely while children in the age group of 12-15 years must be vaccinated as soon as possible. It must be recognized that vaccination and adherence to Covid appropriate behavior remain the best defence against the virus, including newer variants if they appear.
