Unlock mood amid high positivity rate
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: July 02, 2021 -

WHILE imposition of lockdown or curfew waiting for the pandemic situation to subside has been causing intense hardships to the commoners, the high daily positivity rate in the state leaves no room for the government to lift the restrictions other than permitting staggered operation of essential sectors.

Regardless of the curfew extension order issued on Wednesday by the State Executive Committee chairman and chief secretary Dr Rajesh Kumar mentioning that the Covid-19 situation has improved compared to May, limiting the relaxations for mainly agricultural and horticultural activities implies that the government will not be taking any decision that might deepen the health crisis.

With agriculture-related activities in the state still dependent on the seasonal rainfall due to absence or unreliable irrigational network, the government cannot afford to keep the food producers confined to their homes.

It is also rather fortunate that there are no notable industries in the state thereby allowing the government to focus on some basic sectors only such as continuation of trading in consumable items and essential services while persisting with the lockdown and hoping that the pandemic will die its natural death.

However, easing the restrictions for the limited sectors is also fraught with danger for it is obvious that there would be increasing movement of people, including those genuinely involved in farming and many others who are certain to feast on the relaxation to search for livelihood.

As such, the government's decision to facilitate agricultural activities will be purposeful only if the law enforcement personnel maintain top vigil to discourage individuals unrelated with farming activities to be present in public places.

Restricting movement and normal livelihood activities will definitely add to the stress of commoners but the virus containment measures must be persisted with till there is substantial improvement in the situation.

Regardless of facing severe hardships, the public need no reminding that unlike the first wave when rate of infections and fatalities was at a manageable level, the current situation where the daily positivity rate has been well above the national average makes it clear that Manipur is struggling to contain the spread of the contagion.

From the national perspective, the medical fraternity had been pointing out that prolonging the lockdown will lead to more people dying from neglected treatment of other diseases than from Covid-19 itself while other critics have been contending that lockdown will encourage mismanagement of medical services by delaying or eliminating needed care for patients with other conditions that are not specifically Covid-19.

However, in the state's context, there has been greater number of deaths of Covid patients than the natural demises during the pandemic.

As such, the daily cases and deaths merit explicit reporting so that the public not only realise the ground reality but also make them contribute towards battling the virus by not indulging in non-essential activities.

Publicising Covid-19 cases and deaths might be inducing fear in the population but laying bare the truth seems to be the only means to make the masses acknowledge importance of the safety guidelines as well as lethality of the pandemic and the government to base its decision regarding further relaxations, if any, on the actual ground reality.