The process of Unlock will soon be complete; it is in the peoples hands to ensure a second wave of COVID-19 is avoided, and it is critical that we continue to wear masks, practise social distancing
Masked pedestrians at a market in Charkop. File pic
We are at the most crucial stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. The cases have reduced drastically in Maharashtra. The wheels of the economy have started rolling as the people go to work despite facing hardships, and working from home if their trade allows. Tax collections have increased. The process of unlocking will have schools and places of worship reopened after Diwali, and the suburban trains should start ferrying all commuters by end of November. But the fear is that once restored, the normalcy might be violated by the people, inviting the worst ever trouble in the form of a second wave. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray spoke about the fear at length on Sunday, explaining to the citizens why they should adopt the new normal to avoid a second wave that has the European curve peaked like never before. Several countries have been put under a strict lockdown again, he said.
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Within India, we have Delhi which basked in the glory of controlling the pandemic a few months ago, but now is fighting a tremendous spike. Careless super-spreaders who misused the relaxed restrictions are said to be the main culprits. The polluted winter air might add to the health crisis up north, says the experts. Delhi was on the forefront in unlocking whereas Maharashtra thought twice before relaxing restrictions, some of which are still in place despite a barrage of criticism. As the curve is flattening and the period of doubling increased manifold, Maharashtra's healthcare system and allied forces that worked together since March are a bit relaxed. But the recurrence in Delhi and Europe has given a reason to worry about the future Appealing to the people to cooperate to prevent a second wave, the CM said, "If it comes, it will be a tsunami, not just a wave. We faced a similar crisis 100 years ago when Spanish flu hit us. Then we didn't have a vaccine and now also we don't have one. Some one crore people died 100 years ago. What will be the death toll if we don't wear masks now and follow social distancing?"
The CM and COVID Task Force's fear isn't unfounded. On Sunday morning, a friend posted on social media the pictures of a fish market in Malad. Why are we so reckless and careless? Hundreds of people, most without masks, were seen jostling to buy the fresh catch. Scenes are no different in other markets or public places. If crowds cannot be prevented, can't they be regulated for following the new normal? The sane individuals in the crowd can certainly be more responsible, even at the cost of picking fights with others who don't adhere to a simple protocol of masking his/her face. The situation demands that if one can't think of others, one should think of him/herself, and be careful, because one COVID-19 positive person can infect 400 contacts. Imagine the remedy if everyone thinks 'selfish'. And if we don't, the government and private healthcare may not be able to deal with the chain reaction while the movement remains free and the people carefree. Our doctors may have learnt to save the patients, and we may have COVID facility centres open for next six months, but then, that doesn't mean that we should put our fatigued medical, paramedical and allied teams under further stress yet again. After all, everything has a limit.
It's time we stopped being complacent and revived our fight against COVID-19. Firstly, we need to be selfish. Just think of going out shielded because others may infect you. Secondly, we shouldn't stop speaking against violations. And, we should report violations, but not before trying to reason with the offender. Henceforth, the fight is going to be individual because the government doesn't have the capacity to be omnipresent. Your individual activism will not only protect you but also save many others. So, learn and live; if you don't, you won't.
Dharmendra Jore is political editor, mid-day. He tweets @dharmendrajore
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