While reviewing covid-19 situation last week, the Lieutenant Governor said that next 100 days are crucial as per the experts’ report.
As he rightly underlined, there is need to be alert, vigilant and must adhere to Covid protocols to prevent the third wave.
The statement comes amid worrying sign that the reproductive number (R-value), which indicates how fast Covid-19 is spreading, has risen above one in eight states and UTs —Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh Lakshadweep, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Mizoram and Puducherry.
There is a need to reach out to the maximum population to make them aware about the Covid related SoPs.
Some experts have time and again underlined that a third surge and heightened spread could happen if Covid-appropriate behaviour was not followed. Such warnings should not be ignored.
The Health and Information departments and others need to come up with a comprehensive district-level plan for conducting information Education & Communication (IEC) campaign to promote Covid appropriate behavior and healthy habits to contain the pandemic.
The concerned authorities need to rope in religious leaders and community heads for spreading awareness regarding adherence of CAB, besides making informative announcements from religious places to create a sense of responsibility on the part of the general public to follow covid protocols and control the spread of the infection.
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
Vaccination remains the best bet to contain the virus. As per officials, there are at least 5,62,000 vaccine doses available with J&K and would be enough to achieve the set target of covering 60% of the population by this month.
There is as such a need for dedicated focus regarding inoculation of 2nd dose besides ensuring 100% coverage of the 18-44 age group with the first dose.
The government should scale up the surveillance exercises as well as contact tracing to the optimum level to break the spread chain of the virus.
The devastation wreaked by the second wave should continue to spur the authorities to be better prepared on all counts – oxygen, ventilators, ICU beds and medicines. People must be cogent. The lifting of restrictions should not lead to all-round laxity in adhering to the precautionary norms. Reports and visuals of people avoiding masks and social distancing even in crowded city markets underscore the complacency.
Next 3 Months ‘Crucial’
