TPR dip no reason to let down guard
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: August 19, 2021 -

THE state's test positivity rate recorded below 10 per cent on Tuesday would definitely give some sense of relief to the healthcare workers and the public for both have been seriously impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nevertheless, the dip in the daily number of infections does not imply that the threat is over and the masses may let their guard down in view of the virus mutating, its transmissibility increasing and not sparing even the vaccinated people.

Ever since the onset of the second wave of the pandemic, the state has been struggling to keep the test positivity rate below 10 per cent, which is the informal criteria of the union health ministry to ease the containment measures.

Interestingly, in Manipur's case imposition of total curfew was lifted and commercial activities allowed to resume, albeit staggeringly, with effect from August 7 when the TPR was well above the national average.

That the public had been waiting eagerly for relaxation of the curbs could be gauged from bank customers standing in long queues, traders thronging the wholesale outlets and commoners making brisk purchases on the days the sale of essential goods are allowed on the road side.

A quick glance around the commercial hubs in the capital should make one realise how miserable life has been since outbreak of the pandemic, onset of the second wave in particular.

Though return to full normalcy is unlikely anytime soon, people would be cherishing the fall in the test positivity rate and hoping that the authorities would do everything possible to bring further improvement in the situation.

While it is the frontline workers who will have to lead the fight against the pandemic with administrative and material support from the government, the public would pay a high price in case one ignores the fact that the spread of the contagion in the state is caused by the highly infectious Delta variant of the virus, which can strike anyone, anywhere in case of slightest lapse in following the basic safety guidelines.

Moreover, it is noteworthy that after eight months the first wave of the pandemic peaked in November before the second wave started to re-wreak havoc since April.

So far, the monthly positivity rate has been the highest in May at over 18 per cent while July recorded 15-plus per cent after slight drop in June at 10.35 per cent.

Thus, the TPR dipping to single digit after a gap of 49 days on Tuesday could be a momentary relief at the most and the public will have do their bit to help the frontline workers effectively tackle the pandemic.

One must remember that in case of weariness among the frontline workers, including the law enforcement personnel working at the ground level, there is every possibility of the virus nullifying the gains made so far.

As there is also strong possibility that the government data compiled through routine surveillance systems might be significantly under-estimating cases amongst those with mild or no symptoms, the public shall have to uphold the experts' safety protocols to sustain the momentum of improvements the pandemic situation failing which remaining indoors would be inevitable.