A cautious step forward

The new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued by the Assam Health Department for COVID-19 management is another step towards fully unlocking the state. Reopening of physical classes for fully vaccinated students of the final year of graduate, postgraduate classes of medical/engineering and other technical courses are reflective of the confidence of the State Health Department in COVID-19 management. Clamour for resumption of offline classes of final year and other classes of general courses will also grow as loss of learning has equally affected them. Continuation of suspension of inter-district public transport service is reflective of a guarded approach until further improvement in the overall COVID-19 situation. National and state highways will witness more movement of small cars as inter-district movement, barring Kamrup (Metropolitan) in private vehicles has been allowed. All kinds of inter-district movement to and from Kamrup (Metropolitan) will continue to be suspended which speaks volumes about the precarious pandemic situation in Guwahati and its suburbs. However, withdrawal of odd-even formula in respect of plying of vehicles will bring rhythms of wheels in the city as well as in all towns. With more vehicles plying on roads, the traffic police will have to be prepared for optimal utilisation of its strength to ensure that city road remain free from traffic congestion and clogged traffic junctions do not become hotspots of spreading COVID-19 infection. Strict enforcement of facemasks by all including those riding on private cars and public transport will help the Health Department sustain the decline in COVID-19 infections and prevent fresh spikes on account of relaxation in travel restrictions. Extension of the window of business hours till 6 pm will provide more relief to shop owners, traders, restaurants but the challenge to prevent overcrowding will remain. The SOP allows meeting/gathering of up to 200 persons at any open or closed spaces for public functions and up to 50 per cent of the hall capacity or up to 200 fully vaccinated persons, whichever is lower. Ensuring that all those who have gathered are fully vaccinated should be a responsibility shouldered by the organiser of such functions. Pre-event smartphone-based registration and sharing of vaccination certificates with the organisers by participants can rule out the participation of any person who is yet to be fully vaccinated. Such measures along with strict enforcement of face mask-wearing and hand washing can boost confidence among participants of safe public interaction insulated from COVID-19 infection. As such public gatherings would be organised without obtaining permission from any government authority, keeping track of all such events for maintenance of the SOP is not feasible on the part of the administration, the responsibility to adhere to SOP norms will lie with the organisers and participants. Besides, if these venues become a spreader of COVID-19 infection due to violation of the SOP norms and trigger a fresh rise in positive cases the restrictions will return, and daily life will again be regulated by a set of strict lockdown restrictions. Political parties, ruling as well as opposition have in the past failed to ensure strict adherence to SOP norms by participants in political meetings and events organised by them. Each party having strong organisational structures ensuring pre-meeting or event registration and sharing of full vaccination certificates is only a matter of political will and determination. This applies equally in respect of religious places and marriage and other social functions. On its part, the Health Department in collaboration with panchayats and town committees can empower the functionaries of religious places to insist on a certificate of full vaccination of each devotee taking part in religious function as allowed under the SOP norms and refuse to allow anyone who is yet to get both the doses. Pressure will be mounting on the state government for opening cinema and theatre halls even with reduced capacity as public gathering has been allowed with 50 per cent hall capacity in case of closed venues. The primary reason behind not allowing reopening the entertainment is believed to be because of airconditioned environment and ventilation in these closed is a challenge in ensuring safe indoor air quality. However, the SOP has not mentioned if closed venues in which it allows public gathering and meeting with 50 per cent capacity will be allowed to turn on the air conditioners if the venue is equipped with it or should have enough windows. This ambiguity will bolster the clamour for reopening cinema and theatre halls. Closure of the entertainment halls has created severe financial hardship for cine and other cultural workers and the majority of them have become jobless and are without any livelihood support. As the movement of people in public places is poised to increase manifold due to easing of restrictions, intensifying testing besides tracking and treating the infected will be vital to preventing third wave striking in unlocked Assam.