Testing, Or Verifiable Negative Report Must At Entry Points Of All States To Prevent Spread
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 2022-01-04 16:34:41
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
The third wave of Covid infections is raging across India. For the last few days, the country is reporting new cases at a galloping rate. The weekly average is moving up at an alarming rate. The positivity rate is going up fast. Although the surge is being driven by Maharashtra, Delhi, Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, since there is no check on movement of people across India and testing at entry points is not being done seriously (a double vaccinated certificate is enough for entry from one state to another, although a large number of people who have taken both the doses are getting infected this time), it is just a matter of time before a surge is reported from other states too.
India reported 37327 new cases on Tuesday. Mumbai reported 10860 cases while the number in Delhi was 5481. Reports from many states were still awaited. The positivity rate in Delhi was 8.37 percent. This high positivity rate indicates that transmission is very high and a higher number of people will test positive if more tests are conducted. It also indicates that the multiplicity of infections will rise exponentially in the next few weeks. The same is the case in Maharashtra and Bengal where the positivity rate is rising fast. At his rate, in the next few weeks, India's medical infrastructure will be totally overwhelmed.
So what should be done? It is clear that governments, both at the Centre and in the states, are not in favour of imposing a crippling total lockdown. Local restrictions are being imposed and micro containment zones are being identified and sealed for preventing the spread. Administrations are getting strict with people who are not following Covid protocols like wearing the mask in public. But will this be enough?
Even if restricting the movement of people is not advisable, entry from one state to another must strictly be on the basis of production of Covid negative report for tests done 72 hours before arrival. With reports of many people carrying 'fake' or doctored reports, there must be a mechanism to test the veracity of the report online. Also, testing must be ramped up within the states and contact tracing must be taken up seriously. The local restrictions and micro containment zones will work only if untested outsiders, or even residents returning to their homes, are strictly tested in all states and at all entry points. Otherwise, the third wave will engulf the country in no time and the consequences will be disastrous.
Pic courtesy: mid-day.com
