Contain the 2nd wave, prepare for the third

There is good news from the field in the fight against Covid-19 — only 382 of the 718 districts in India have a test positivity rate of 10 or above. Considering that these numbers were disquieting in the beginning of the month, when 301 districts had a positivity rate of 20 per cent or higher, one must come to the understanding that the measures taken of late by most states have started delivering results. Several states are in lockdown, which have practically paralysed normal life and ground the economy to almost a halt. Certain states have no immediate plans to relax the lockdown norms. Tamil Nadu, for example, is going to tighten them, ordering the closure of even groceries and vegetable vends. The state wants its people to remain at home and step out only when it is absolutely necessary.

The daily caseload is also easing with the daily reports talk of three lakh infections or less, which is almost 25 per cent less than the figures at the beginning of the month. The death toll due to the pandemic, however, has shown no signs of easing: it has been hovering around 4,000 for the last two weeks and refuses to

come down. Most experts and independent Every resource at its assessments doubt even these figures which command and at the say it could be easily three times the reported

figures or more. It’s a sad commentary on the private sector must be

priorities of India as a nation that has very little put to use to ensure that means to keep a tab on the deaths in such a none dies due to lack of way that the world believes us. care. India’s defence The governments at the Centre and in the

states need to do a lot of prioritising if they forces are already in the

were to contain the virus spread in the second field in a limited way and

wave and limit the impact of a third wave their services must be which experts say is in the offing. The higher made available to more death toll indicates that healthcare does not people. reach the needy in a sufficient way, and the

government must stretch itself to the maximum now. Every resource at its command and at the private sector must be put to use to ensure that none dies due to lack of care. India’s defence forces are already in the field in a limited way in the fight against the virus and their services must be made available to more people. Temporary and field hospitals must be set up in the villages and semi-urban areas where the lack of such facilities has a telling impact.

The nation must gear up for a third wave, and the best way to do it is to vaccinate as many people as possible. The government must roll out a universal vaccination programme and instead of waiting for the people to come forward and be part of it, it must deploy teams all across the nation to approach them and administer the vaccine. It must also retain whatever healthcare facilities it creates now, do a quick analysis on how to fill up the gaps and follow it up meticulously. The first wave was unexpected and hence the slips; but a repeat of the pathetic response to the second wave has no justification when the third one lands on us.