Second lockdown

The situation has been worsening from the second of coronavirus as winter sets in. The country has been recording more than 2,000 cases per day and hospitals are once again being full. From the looks, it seems likely that we are heading for a second hideout.

The government has taken many drastic and half-baked steps to reduce the impact of the virus including banning indoor weddings and closing down cinemas, theatres and shrines. As the number of cases also started rising among children, the government decided to close down all educational institutions for a month followed by winter vacations. The decision was tough as students have not studied for much of the year. This may affect them academically but their health could not be have been compromised.

Perhaps the most controversial decision has been to once again close shops and other businesses by 6PM. The business community is in no mood to follow the directives and have vowed to resist. They claim that political parties have been holding and rallies to no avail but now their businesses are being targeted. The local administration has decided to maintain its writ and has taken action against those not enforcing the closure order and violating all SOPs and safety precautions.

This time year with a second lockdown on the anvil, people are unlikely to take it seriously as it disrupts their work and life. It has been more than a year and people are fed up with the pandemic which continues to affect the world. There have already been no enforcement of SOPs and people are proceeding with their lives as if the pandemic never exists.

The prime minister had said that we cannot afford another lockdown but he will soon realize when the situation worsens further. He has blamed the opposition for the rising number of cases as the PDM held massive rallies where all SOPs were openly flouted. Thus the prime minister has raised the prospect of a second lockdown if the situation remains the same.

We are unlikely to have a COVID-19 vaccine anytime soon and now have to pass the winter months. The safety precautions which the government has approved should be strictly enforced as it for our own benefit. We must realise that we still need to take painful decisions as the pandemic is here to stay for now.