Covid-19 is once again in the news as there has been slight increase in fresh cases.Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, like other parts of the country, has been reporting increased cases of Covid-19 from past more than a week. This has come as a grim reminder that the virus is very much here, ready to pounce, whenever the people lower the guard. Though the administration has asked people not to panic and affirmed that it is all geared up to face any challenge, exercising caution is clearly beneficial so that we avoid any upsurge in the cases.
The Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir Wednesday asserted that situation so far was under control and thus there is nothing to worry but at the same time he revealed that if the caseload continues to rise, the administration will surely consider strict measures as part of the graded plan. Her asked people to go for immediate testing and follow COVID appropriate behavior.
Director Health, Dr Mushtaq Ahmad Rather too has asked people to take preventive measures to avoid fresh spread of Covid-19 while maintaining that though cases have slightly increased but there is no need to panic. He disclosed that the department has issued circulars to all Chief Medical Officers, Block Medical Officers and Medical Superintendents of all hospitals to increase the Covid testing rate amid a spike in the number of cases.“Cases have slightly increased and there is a mixture of H3N2 influenza and Covid-19, but we are alert and there is no need to panic. If symptoms are developed, a patient needs to go for testing and get immediately isolated,” he said.
With the decrease in the cases during past several months, people have started taking the issue not much seriously. Masks have vanished from the faces and people are mingling in crowds without any precautions. This could be the reason for the increasing number of Covid cases and thus should once again put the people on high alert to tackle with the virus. People need to understand that the virus is very much here and despite the massive vaccination drive, it is going to stay and therefore following the SOPs is the only way to defeat it. Medical experts describe the trend of violating SOPs as worrisome saying the masses need to adopt Covid-19 SOPs as a new normal because nothing will change immediately. They are of the opinion that despite the vaccination drive, the virus is not going to vanish overnight and therefore taking extreme precautions is the only way to ensure safety from this invisible enemy. It is every individual’s responsibility to ensure that he/she helps in breaking the chain of infection and that is possible only if everyone adheres to ongoing SOPs. People have to behave as responsible citizens and understand that one who doesn’t follow the guidelines is doing utmost disservice to his/her own self, family and the society at large.
People should not become complacent as the medical experts are continuously suggesting that even after getting vaccinated, following of SOPs is a must. Wearing masks, maintaining social distance and washing hands frequently are the new norms and people should prepare themselves to follow these for a longer period.
