It is clear as of now that the economic run cannot be impeded amid rising covid-19 numbers. Undoubtedly the businesses have been badly hit across globe, more so in Jammu and Kashmir given the catastrophic impact of the lockdown in the aftermath of 5 August 2019 decisions by centre and one after it due to the virus.
In other words, the returned to lockdown in a bid to contain the virus spread seems unlikely even as there has been a surge in the number of the covid-19 cases.
For last three weeks now, the J&K recorded more than a thousand covid-19 cases daily. The numbers have sprinted to 63990 while deaths due to it have crossed grim milestone of 1000, around 300 added this month alone.
How the economy evolves ahead remains up in the air, as coronanomics proves difficult to pin down even as global clamour for a COVID-19 vaccine has whipped up unrealistic expectations that one or two are just around the corner. In reality, the world will gain from a vaccine that has been critically and transparently evaluated and not one that crosses a chimerical finish line first. All in all, the vaccine in contemporary times seems still at some time away.
The pandemic has also brought into focus the unavoidable role of uncertainty. New aspects of the disease are being brought to light, sometimes day after day. The best strategy, in the midst of such flux, is adherence to the measures to prevent the spread of the virus. The social distancing, hand washing etiquettes and wearing masks remain the key. At one point in time, the government had announced hefty penalties in a bid to make people wear face coverings. One who fails to wear one had to be fined Rs 500. The non-payment should land anyone to jail for disobedience of public order under section 188 IPC. Even as the penal provisions have not been withdrawn, the compliance to wearing masks seems least and government action more feeble. In India and the world, some places which were swamped with new cases in the beginning managed to significantly reduce the transmissions. The logic behind the success remained relatively inexpensive and simple preventive method whose use could be greatly expanded: face coverings. When many people refuse to wear masks, for varied reasons including absurd ones, they give the virus a helping hand. It is important to note that wearing masks is important to prevent virus spread and hence save lives and livelihood.
