Disturbing coincidence
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: June 16, 2021 -

EVEN if the government's plan to permit restricted operation of wholesale shops from June 16 onwards is aimed at enabling the retailers from different districts to replenish their stock of essential goods and address shortage of essential items, the declining number of tests conducted every day is worrisome, especially in view of the positive cases detected ranging in between 500 to 700 in the past few days.

The state recorded the highest number of 9000-plus tests conducted on June 10 during which 730 cases were detected followed by an average of 7000 samples tested for two consecutive days before the test and case figures slumped to 5059 and 530 respectively on June 13, the same day the government issued notification permitting reopening ofthe wholesale dealers located in Thangal bazar and Masjid Road.

Regardless of the marginal dips in the number of tests and positive cases on June 14, the state's test positivity rate remaining well above the national average underscores possibility of hundreds of vectors moving around and transmitting the virus.

Another disturbing aspect of the government's decision to ease the curbs on operation of wholesalers and movement of the retailers is the relaxation order not specifying whether or not it would be mandatory for the traders to possess Covid negative certificate as had been mandated for pharmaceutical and motor spares parts shop runners, the first few sectors allowed to resume operation.

The relaxation order indeed laid down the rules that existing Covid SOPs must be followed but it is most unlikely that the business persons would strictly adhere to the social distancing norms, for retailers from a particular district would have only five hours to make the purchases in the six-day roster system.

Relaxation of commercial activities might help the government authorities to assess the existing situation and take steps to gradually do away with the restrictions in case of improvement.

However, success of the government's apparent trial before total lifting of the prohibitory measures, if any, would depend on resilience of the law enforcement personnel for they will have to double up as the verifiers of permits issued by the district administrations concerned as well as enforcers of the safety protocols at the wholesale markets.

The move to allow trading activities is basically aimed at showing a semblance of returning to normalcy and averting possible exacerbation of the already existing levels of frustration and anger felt by the vulnerable and poor people due to impact of the protracted curfew crisis.

But such a decision preceded by the sudden dip in the number of tests conducted is hard to digest when continuation of the aggressive testing is the most appropriate exercise to curb the spread of the virus.

It is also worth noting that out of the 459 positive cases detected on Monday, 136 of the infected people are residents of Imphal West district, where the wholesale markets are concentrated and mass testing drives were conducted.

As such, possibility of trader vectors from the remaining districts spreading the infectious disease or contracting the same during their business transactions cannot be ruled out.

Thus, it is hoped that the decline in the number of tests ahead and decision to allow partial trading activities are merely coincidental, and the government authorities are fully committed and prepared to tackle possible upsurge in the number of infected people as a consequence of relaxing the curbs on the basis of marginal fall in the daily positive cases.