Ruthlessly enforce virus containment measures
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: August 10, 2021 -

IN view of the slew of relaxations announced by the government after protracted imposition of curfew failed to have the desired effect, it is now clear that defeating the pandemic will rest on the synergy between the enforcement authorities and the civil organisations, more importantly the local bodies.

While making the public aware about the highly transmissible nature of Delta variant of the virus; which has been confirmed as the dominant strain of infection in the state, would be vital in keeping the contagion under control, the government needs to focus on ramping up the testing rate for timely identification and isolation of the infected people would help break the chain of the transmission.

Successful containment of the viral disease, thus, will depend on how diligently the district administrations implement directive issued by the Health Department on Sunday to prioritise measures for controlling Covid transmission in the state, their astuteness in proactively involving the local clubs enforcing the home isolation norms and efficient utilisation of the law enforcement personnel.

Though the latest instructions given to DC, SP and medical department authorities of the respective districts sound familiar, the virulent spread of the pandemic during the second wave leaves no room for laxity on the part of the government agencies.

With commercial establishments allowed to operate on roster system it is obvious that retail traders and customers would throng the markets to make purchases as everybody is apprehensive that the government might resort to impromptu cessation of normal chores in case there is spike in the number of infections.

Similarly, permission to resume agricultural and allied activities will see increase in movement of people in the rural areas.

Therefore, advisories issued to the district administrations to strictly enforce regulations including monitoring of micro-containment zones through adequate utilisation of police and health department teams should be implemented in the right earnest and with a sense of urgency.

As recommended by the Health Department, DCs and CMOs should ensure daily update and wide circulation of the micro-containment zones for effective enforcement of relevant protocols by the police or the local bodies.

In case any infected people remain perverse to following the prescribed guidelines then there should be immediate intervention by the police to whisk away such rogue individuals to community or institutional home isolation facilities as there is no guarantee that they will adhere to Covid appropriate behaviour after some mild reprimanding.

That such recalcitrant people under home isolation cannot be trusted to contribute their mite in the fight against the pandemic could be gauged from 38 per cent of the active cases seeking homely comfort contrary even though the state has been recording one of the highest test positivity rates in the country.

Moreover, with the Health Department's order conceding that isolating the infected people in CHICs should be accorded importance in view of increasing trend of people in rural pockets contracting the disease, over-reliance of the government on the home isolation policy should be reviewed.

Along with strictest enforcement of the containment measures, the masses should be driven home the point that any form of recklessness at this critical juncture will only aggravate the situation and consequently compel the government to re-impose curfew or lockdown, the hardships of which need no reminding.