Prioritising election, ignoring Covid-19 ground reality
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: September 22, 2021 -

WITH exception of the static sample testing capacity, September has been one of the best months in terms of overall decline in the numbers of infection and fatality count since onset of the distressful second wave of Covid-19.

While fall in daily cases and deaths in the current month might be indicative of the gradual waning of viral disease, there is no guarantee that the pandemic will not resurge, especially in view of non-stop election-related activities in the last few weeks.

Regardless of the government yet to lift the prohibition on gathering of large number of people in a single venue for various events and programmes, the fact remains that not only every election campaign but also almost all government and private functions had been seeing convergence of public well above the specified numbers.

Such blatant defiance of the Covid-19 safety protocols is akin to abetting transmission of the virus and inviting onset of the third wave as forewarned by experts.

Compared to the nation recording daily positivity rate of 2.57 per cent on Monday and the infected cases remaining less than 3 per cent for the last 21 days, Manipur's test positivity rate, fluctuating in between 6 to 9 per cent in the past three weeks underscores that there is still no room for complacency by both the government and the public.

However, it is but natural for the general population to presume that there is no serious threat from the contagion anymore if political organisations and candidate aspirants do not exercise restraint or exhibit commitment to help the healthcare workers.

On its part, the health department has been keeping the masses updated on the prevailing pandemic situation with the hope that everybody would contribute their mite towards effective containment of the virus.

For instance, health director Dr K Rajo recently ruling out possibility of resumption of physical classes and disclosing about prevalence of different variants of the infectious Delta variant of the novel coronavirus sum up the gravity of the situation.

Sadly, neither the political class nor the public seem to be heeding the warning that the virus might return with a vengeance in case of non-adherence to the standard safety guidelines.

During the weekly media briefing, which was one of the recommendations made by the high-level central team to make all concerned aware about seriousness of the contagion, director Dr Rajo had made it clear that unless the test positivity rate falls below 5 per cent any move to reopen educational institutions would be taking unnecessary risk.

Thus, if the students are barred from attending physical classes awaiting further improvement in the pandemic situation, then there is no reason why the government authorities should play deaf and dumb to any event, election-related activities in particular, where large of people gather.

Moreover, failure to prohibit electioneering in connection with the upcoming assembly polls has been the primary reason for the tribal organisations to question the government's uniform development slogan.

As election to the Autonomous District Councils has been put on hold due Covid-19, it is ridiculous that both the government and the political organisations are in full gear nearly six months before the scheduled assembly polls.