4687 cases : Reflecting 3 digit spikes :: Green zone on May 2 to now
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: August 19 2020 -

Three digit increase in 24 hours for the past many days and perhaps this is reflected in the total tally of 4687 positive cases that Manipur has seen so far.

Not a big number if one goes by what is happening in other parts of the country, but calculate the total against the approximate population of 30 lakhs or so of Manipur and the figure is not at all comfortable.

And equally worrying too is the fact that as recently as May 2 this year Manipur was a green zone, the first two cases having recovered.

So from zero case on May 2, it is today 4687.

So in just a little over two months, the number has zoomed to the present tally and judging from the looks of it, the tally will keep on increasing.

Just take a look at the figure. On May 30, the number of positive cases was 62 which increased to 1252 on June 30.

In just thirty days, the number of positive cases increased by 1190 and for a small State like Manipur, the rate of increase is indeed high.

It did not stop there for from 1252 cases on June 30, the number of positive cases zoomed to 2505 on July 30, meaning in a span of thirty days the increase was 1253.

It is the increase in the climbing number that is also significant to note.

Just before this, in thirty days, the number of positive cases increased by 1190 and thirty days later the increase was 1253.

From 2505 on June 30, the number climbed to 2621 on July 31 and from July 31 to August 17, Manipur saw the total tally steadily climbing to 4687.

It is the gradual and unfailing increase in the number of positive cases that is worrying and adding to the worries is the fact that more and more people with no travel history are testing positive with as many as 94 persons with no travel history testing positive on August 17.

No point repeating this, but it wouldn’t hurt to remind the people that local transmission today is real while the State Government is yet to officially admit that there is community transmission.

But as noted here in earlier commentaries, whether local or community transmission, it all could boil down to a question of choice of words with no real difference at the ground reality.

Along with the increase in the number of positive cases and the heavy pressure mounted on the health care system are the disturbing news of how doctors, nurses and other health care workers are at the receiving end of discrimination.

Other than health care workers, truck drivers and their helpers too are increasingly being discriminated with even shops refusing to sell them goods and other necessities.

This is something which everyone can live without, clearly underlining the point that COVID-19 will need to be fought on many fronts.

While the focus should be on trying to flatten the curve, another important point is to educate the people on how senseless it is to discriminate people who are out there to treat the sick and ailing and feed all.

A little bit of thought is perhaps that is all that is needed. Instead of discriminating the healthcare workers, let everyone just focus on the dos and don’ts as laid down by WHO and that is to maintain social/physical distance, wear masks while stepping out and to regularly wash one’s hands with soap and water or hand sanitisers.