Be proactive, Cyril, to stop 5th wave

The much-anticipated fifth Covid-19 wave is making its presence felt in virtually every part of SA as infections multiply by the day. Medical experts are warning us of the dire results of a new variant that could sweep across the country. Its stealthy sweep will engulf the unwary, the complacent, the ignorant and the defiant.

In a rampaging fifth wave, the government must as a matter of extreme urgency invoke new measures to enforce compliance with current preventative rules which are being brazenly and defiantly ignored.

A new limited lockdown should consider instructions that citizens minimise time spent in an open-air environment and that institutions should be required to instal air filters and ultraviolet lights that can kill airborne viruses.

As we approach winter, infections are bound to multiply as cold conditions serve as vehicles for virus transmission when people gather to seek warmth and shelter. Vaccinations have virtually ceased, a serious factor in the race to contain the spread of the fifth wave.

Crowded areas such as supermarkets, taxis and any highdensity institutions could be a risky environment and a possible breeding area. Unless and until we as a nation exercise strict personal control, the chances of containing the fifth wave, let alone defeating it, are diminished every day as we blatantly and brazenly defy health regulations. Covid-19 is a rapidly evolving enemy whose venom continues to defy any medical assault.

The cost in terms of lives and livelihood will be astronomical.

We as a nation will pay the price for ignoring safety rules and regulations. Our folly will lead to hardships, discomforts, hunger and death on an unprecedented scale.

Farouk Araie, Actonville, Benoni