It’s hard to miss the signs of normalcy around. Shopping centres are abuzz with activity, people without masks are a familiar sight, and even the economy’s rebound suggests that the pandemic has passed. The truth, however, is that infections are rising again in five Indian states, new strains have emerged, and the likelihood of a second wave is not negligible. India’s vaccination drive is going slower than it needs to and while high antibody detection in urban spaces has calmed nerves, we cannot count on herd immunity. The chief of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences Randeep Guleria termed the notion that it’ll keep India safe a “myth".
Social distancing and other covid-appropriate practices, therefore, must continue. To be sure, we’ve made impressive progress, with our corona curve having slid sharply off its mid-September peak. The sacrifice has been large, and so we owe it to ourselves not to let efforts slip at this juncture, just as an escape from the pandemic beckons. States with outbreaks in new areas or U-shaped charts in old hotspots must take action. The desire to get our lives back and see businesses roar must not make us misread risks.
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