No Curfew Or Lockdown In West Bengal Now
By A Special Correspondent
First publised on 2021-04-20 08:11:21
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West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said "avoiding political pollution" was the only way to stop the spread of coronavirus in the state. She was perhaps referring to the rallies being held by all parties for the ongoing elections in the state. But most parties, including the TMC and the BJP, have said they will no longer hold big rallies. Didi once again appealed to the Election Commission to three remaining phases of the polls in one or two phases to reduce the chances of the virus spreading more.
Mamata ruled out imposing restrictions on the people. She said that there was no need for night curfew or weekend lockdown in the state as of now. She also announced a series of administrative measures including closing advancing summer holidays and closing schools with immediate effect, asking offices to work with 50% attendance and ramping up infrastructure in the health sector by asking private hospitals to increase Covid beds and postpone planned surgeries by two weeks. Government hospitals will scale up facilities for Covid patients and safe homes will be readied.
While the state government is right in not imposing curfews or lockdown as they are economic disrupters, the fact is that the administration had become very lax in following Covid protocols in the last few months. There were no drives to fine people for not wearing masks as a result of which nearly 50% of the people seldom wore one in public. Also, West Bengal is conducting just 473 tests per million people and stands at the bottom of the table of state-wise Covid testing. If testing, tracing, treating/isolation, along with vaccination are the only ways to combat the virus, West Bengal is falling behind.
The administration has to wield the stick unsparingly to ensure that people strictly follow the Covid health protocols. Periodic drives will no longer suffice, there has to be a regular and sustained drive to penalize offenders. More than the claimed "outsiders", it is the local people who are spreading the virus by being irresponsible. The administration is also guilty of laxity. There is no time to lose as the second wave is spreading dangerously.
pic courtesy: the times of india
