Aren't COVID protocols meant for everybody?

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The State Health and Family Welfare department crossed the 50-lakh mark in COVID-19 tests on Monday even as the COVID-19 positivity rate has come down from its peak 7 per cent to less than one per cent. Though this is no mean feat, yet the two different sets of COVID-19 protocols being followed in the State have made the situation quite hazy.

On its part, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has kept on cautioning the State government to speed up COVID-19 tests. The Ministry doesn't want the State government to leave any room for complacency as long as the COVID-19 vaccines aren't available in the market.

However, huge gatherings of people at various election rallies in the BTR (Bodoland Territorial Region) are seen these days, showing disregard to the COVID-19 protocols. In such gatherings being addressed by political leaders, neither face masks are worn nor the social-distancing norms followed.

On the contrary, the State government has made it mandatory for all theatres and educational institutes to run with half of their capacities. Likewise, the buses in the State are not allowed to ply with more than their capacities, besides the mandatory use of face masks and maintaining social distancing at all public places. The people are also obeying these protocols, more or less.

In the run-up to the Durga Puja, the State government was apprehensive that devotees thronging the puja pandals in hordes would deteriorate the situation in the State, spreading the pandemic in a wide scale. However, the public and the puja committees responded positively to the government's plea and stayed away from crowding puja pandals.

The pertinent question now is: Why don't the political leaders stay away from addressing mammoth election rallies in the BTR? Such poll rallies make a section of people in the State to take COVID-19 protocols lightly.

The COVID pandemic has left behind a distinct history of its rise and fall in the State.

While the first COVID-19 positive case was detected in the State on March 31, 2020, on November 16 the State Health department successfully conducted 50 lakh+ COVID-19 tests. The shortest period for the occurrence of five lakh COVID-19 positive cases in the State was the seven days from September 23 to 30, 2020 – the total number of COVID positive cases on September 23 was 30 lakh that rose to 35 lakh on September 30, 2020. It took nine days for the occurrence of five lakh COVID-19 positive cases from August 3 to 12, 2020. It took 23 days from October 20 to November 16, 2020 for the occurrence of five lakh COVID-19 cases. While the recovery rate in the State is as high as 98 per cent, the death rate is just 0.46 per cent. So far, 964 people have died of the pandemic across the State.

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