The third wave of the pandemic has been tough for the country as we are recording record daily cases seen during the peak. The situation has been further worsened with the federal and provincial authorities once again failing to agree on a single plan to curb the rising number of cases.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has said the third wave is more dangerous than the first two waves but has ruled out a complete lockdown as it would lead to chaos. The Sindh government has advised enforcing a lockdown for two weeks control the number of cases. While the prime minister is still indecisive on taking a tough stance against the pandemic, the provincial government is certainly not on the page when in come to enforcing safety precautions.
On the one hand, when the federal government was pressing to suspend trade activities past 8PM, the Sindh government offered two hours relaxation. The provincial government has also warned to impose a ban on inter-city public transport and other restrictions if the Centre does not reach a decision. The government also lacks the writ to enforce its own regulations and markets and business centres are seen open till late while people throng to food streets. The Sindh government also closed down schools without waiting for a meeting of education ministers.
The public is too desensitized after a year of the pandemic and has adopted an ostrich approach to the threat. The people have become complacent and no one seems to be worried anymore while many are not wearing a mask. There has been resurgence in India and Bangladesh while European countries despite the vaccination campaigns are still in lockdown while we still are not enforcing simple restrictions.
We should not take the warning on deaf ears that the third wave could aggravate the situation if extreme caution is not taken. Although the situation has been worsening in Punjab and Islamabad, it cannot be denied that there is a risk in Karachi. The provincial government should work in cohesion with the NCOC to curb the virus rather than taking unilateral decisions.
The government should formulate and develop an integrated strategy for business which it has failed since the past year. It should be realised that the current policies are not effective in controlling the pandemic. Since the public is unlikely to take matters seriously, the government would be compelled to take tough decisions and impose even severe restrictions.
