With an alarming spike in fresh cases of Covid-19 and subsequent increase in the death toll due to the novel coronavirus, the situation in Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has turned quite worrisome. A permanent lockdown is no answer to the crisis and that is why countries including India have been easing restrictions. People have to work to earn and earn to feed themselves and their families. That said, it is for the people to understand that in absence of restrictions, imposed earlier, they themselves have to voluntarily follow some restrictions. Reports coming in from Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir Valley suggest that people are not taking the threat that seriously and are not following the set protocols. Some people don’t wear masks, some don’t follow physical distance and most of them don’t follow the proper hygiene. This is dangerous and can impact more and more lives. Though panic is no answer to this challenge but both the people and the state administration have to pull their socks and confront the situation in such a way that would ensure that the deadly virus is not provided a field day to destroy human lives.
Covid-19 is the reality of our lives. It is a danger that moves along us and we can’t wish it away. It is here to stay and therefore people have to understand the gravity of the situation and take all precautionary measures to defeat the transmission of the deadly virus. The restrictions may be relaxed but that does not mean that people should behave the way they used to pre-Covid-19 threat. Life styles have to change, human contact is to be minimized and masks are to be made a permanent feature of our daily attire.
Hospitals and administrative quarantine centres have become dangerous go-downs of the deadly virus. Therefore need is to tackle this crisis scientifically and logically. As suggested by several experts, the administration should only shift those infected people to administrative quarantine centres who are symptomatic. Asymptomatic people, testing positive, should be advised home quarantine. That would not only decongest the administrative quarantine centres but would also help containing the spread of virus. Besides, the administration has to wake up to the reality that most of the hospitals in Jammu and Kashmir too have becomes hubs of the virus. There have been some cases where the patients were admitted to the hospitals for different ailments but after remaining indoors, they tested positive for the Covid-19. This is a serious issue which can’t be dealt with bureaucratic level. The administration has to take doctors and other health experts on board and devise a strategy after getting inputs from them.
