Covid-19 cases, as has been observed by the government, shows an uneven trend in Jammu and Kashmir recently. Nonetheless, the numbers are below alarming proportions.
On Saturday last, 88 cases were confirmed. On Sunday, Jammu and Kashmir saw a single-day rise of 166 new Covid infections, which took the tally of cases to 320657. For the last couple of days in succession, no person succumbed to the virus and as such precious lives claimed by the pathogen stayed at 4374.
After the month of May proved deadly in terms of fatalities with 1625 Covid-19 deaths, accounting for around 40% of the total toll since the start of the pandemic in March last year, and 114359 cases were added to the overall tally, the situation has started to get better since and continues to be so as days progress. The infections as well as deaths have dwindled. The situation is relatively serene compared to last month when health structure was stretched to extreme and to the brink of breaking point. In such a situation, the easing of lockdown becomes unavoidable as the economic strain is becoming as much of a problem for people as pandemic was to their health.
The government has now lifted weekend lockdown in all 20 districts in Jammu and Kashmir but at the same time underscored the need to continue with some measures put in the past for keeping the pandemic under check.
The decision to lift the lockdown comes even as Centre continues to caution the governments, including J&K, to be wary of crowding in markets and other places, and stressed on need to ensure the “extremely important” five-fold strategy of Covid-appropriate behaviour, test-track-treat and vaccination among others to prevent the spread of the disease.
While significant unlocking has taken place, it is hoped that the government continues to ensure upward progress in vaccination. The government is also expected to take a review of the situation further in the next week or so to assess whether the link between infection and hospitalization has been sufficiently broken to unlock further including in Srinagar.
It is imperative to note that public health and social measures remain the key to stop transmission of the contagion. The administration should continue to make efforts to prevent virus spread and remain cogent to the fact that the dip in cases may turn out to be just a statistical blip. Some experts have underlined that a third surge and heightened spread could happen if Covid-appropriate behaviour was not followed. Such warnings should not be ignored.
