New Delhi, June 20:
The central government joined experts and courts in warning states and Union Territories not to become “complacent” about a decline in Covid-19 infections, urging them to ensure that protocol is followed and asking them to monitor signs of a potential spike in cases as they lift lockdown restrictions across regions.
In a letter to the states and UTs on Saturday, Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla said that while the opening up of businesses and allowing economic activities is “essential” as cases decline, states and UTs must ensure that the whole “process is carefully calibrated”.
He noted that the easing of lockdown norms — which were necessitated in April-May by the devastating second wave of infections — has led to crowding in markets and other public places. It is “extremely important” to follow the five-fold strategy that includes observing Covid-appropriate behaviour, the test-track-treat approach and boosting vaccinations, the senior official said.
The letter of caution comes a day after the Delhi high court took note of crowding, and violations in Covid-19 protocols in markets and public spaces across the Capital, and sounded a warning that the city will be in “great trouble” in the context of an anticipated third wave of the pandemic. The court also told the Centre and the Delhi government to take strict measures, sensitise shopkeepers, and hold meetings with markets and vendors’ associations in this regard.
India’s second and worst wave so far of infections began in March and started to ease sometime in May. At its peak, India added an average of 3,91,819 daily cases for the week ending May 9. It also surpassed the US — the worst-hit nation in cumulative cases — in recording the most number of infections in a single day (305,062) when it recorded 315,909 cases on April 21. In fact, India recorded more than US’s highest single day tally every day from April 21 to May 15. The world’s worst outbreak at the time brought the national capital to its knees, as hospitals ran out of medical oxygen and life-saving drugs and bodies piled up in crematoria. The health care infrastructure in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Odisha, too, were stretched thin in those months.
As lockdown norms are withdrawn, images from across metropolises in recent days have shown large crowds gathering in markets and streets, with hundreds of people seen with virtually no social distancing and often with poor mask compliance.
In Delhi, markets have been open for over two weeks, at first in a 50% arrangement before the government eased all curbs from June 14. In Mumbai, too, all shops and markets, and gymnasiums are open since June 7. Similarly, curbs have been relaxed in other cities including Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru. On Saturday, Telangana ordered lifting of all restrictions “to full extent”.
Experts have cautioned that a race to resume business activities can compromise containment efforts and trigger a third wave of the pandemic if the pace of the vaccination drive doesn’t pick up.
Bhalla pointed out on Saturday that inoculations are critical to break the chain of transmission of the viral illness and all states/UTs should try to cover the most number of people under the vaccination drive.
India has administered at least one dose of the vaccine to 15.5% of its entire population of 1.35 billion people so far, significantly lower than the US’s 52.7%, the UK’s 62%, Israel’s 63% and Canada’s 66%. On average, around 3.24 million jabs given daily in the last seven days.
The senior official additionally asked authorities to regularly monitor any lapses in Covid-appropriate behaviour and said state/UT administrations should keep an eye out for early signs of a potential outbreak.
“A system should be in place at the micro-level to ensure that whenever cases rise in a smaller place, it gets checked there itself, through local containment measures as per the existing guidelines issued by the ministry of health and family welfare,” the home secretary said.
“I therefore urge you to issue directions to district and all other authorities concerned, to keep a close watch on the situation, while activities are opened in a cautious manner, and to scrupulously ensure there is no complacency in adhering to COVID appropriate behaviour…” the letter added.
