Wear a mask or risk another lockdown

This picture has been used for representational purpose

The chief minister on the floor of the House has said he does not want another lockdown. But, while he says he does not want one, he admits that a lockdown is the only tool that will break the cycle of transmission.

And, he is not saying there won't be one, just that he would rather not have to make that choice.

It is time we all understood that the situation is more grim than we think. Two very basic and easy to follow rules simply have to become part of our daily lives - masks and social distancing.

The seriousness can be noted by the fact that civic marshalls and the police have upped their game against those found without masks.

Ninety-one police stations in the city have been given a target of fining 1,000 people each, a number that the police chief thinks will be easy to meet. Thanks to a citizenry that lacks basic civic sense or community spirit.

One agrees that the pandemic and lockdown have been a very trying time, but this is the case for every single human being. If anything, the virus has shown us that we are all equal when it comes to being infected.

Being ensconced in our own homes, too, for months does not ensure safety from it. Even one reckless, ignorant person from a family could put everyone at home at risk. There are still 52 people dying of COVID in the state today, not a small number by any means. Why ignore the fact that we could add to this statistic?

They say it takes anywhere from 18 to 254 days for something to become a habit. Mask-wearing seems to be taking longer, yet it is better to keep trying than ending up as a mere number in the BMC's records.