The country will be entering the second week of travel restrictions from today. This is a bid to control the spread of the Coronavirus, which has so far infected around 170,000 people throughout the island. More than 1,200 deaths have also been reported.
The travel restrictions, though not a lockdown per se, is intended to keep the public at their homes to the fullest possible extent. Of course, some are compelled to leave their homes as they are engaged in essential services – from medical services to garbage collection. But all others can and should stay at home without travelling unnecessarily.
Of course, there are many who regard the travel curbs as an inconvenience. It is indeed a “necessary evil” in one sense because there is no other clear-cut way out of the present predicament.
The leading medical associations of the country had earlier called for a minimum 14-day lockdown or similar mechanism to rein in the rampaging virus which has overwhelmed medical facilities, though efforts are being made to add ICU and normal bed capacity as well as oxygen supplies. These efforts have mostly succeeded, adding another layer of capacity for the health services.
However, unlike during the last year, the public is being given an ample ‘breather’ so to speak, to buy their provisions – two such days are May 31 and June 4, until the relaxations are relaxed on June 7.
This is an ideal solution that benefits traders, service providers and the public. A lot can be done in the intervening period in terms of buying household goods and attending to other household goods.
The last time the restrictions were relaxed on May 25, the public did not pay much heed to the Government’s directive not to use their vehicles to go about. But one excuse – and an acceptable one in most cases – was bad weather.
Nevertheless, the Government’s intention was to curb the mass movement of people to greater distances from their homes.
There is another hidden benefit of this move. Most people with vehicles tend to go the supermarket in the major towns, bypassing their local grocers, who in many cases offer almost the range of goods available at the supermarkets.
Thus compelling the public to patronise their nearest grocery store will benefit the local economy and give an opportunity for the small-time groceries to fulfill the needs of the neighbouring community. We hope that this practice will linger on, even after the virus fades away from our midst.
The travel restrictions will also benefit the gig economy and gig workers such as delivery riders. The Government has wisely granted permission for food and other delivery services to operate, thereby obviating the need for people to go out to buy food and other goods.
We cannot already imagine life without the ‘Paan Choon’ three wheelers’ strains of Beethoven’s Fur Elise and now, thanks to the travel restrictions, a whole host of other delivery services are becoming widely available.
It is time that they too are categorised as essential workers, for they render an essential service amidst the very real risk of contracting the disease.
This brings us to the question of vaccinating essential workers. Since the Government has already ordered the required doses of vaccines from Sinopharm, Sputnik and Pfizer, a list should be drawn up on who deserves the vaccines first and in which order.
There are many demands and appeals from various quarters for priority vaccination. The Government should take their views into account, but once any remaining members of the health cadre and Security Forces/Police are inoculated, the next phase of vaccination should include categories such as emergency workers, teachers, postal workers, supermarket workers, utility workers, FTZ workers, delivery riders and members of any other vocation who come into contact with the public frequently.
This is because they can come into contact with virus carriers and then transmit the disease to others. However, vaccination will give them protection against such encounters.
It is especially vital to vaccinate teachers and also explore the possibility of vaccinating the school-going population – several countries have already approved the inoculation of 12-15 years and 5-12 years will be next.
Such a tandem vaccination process will help the authorities to fully open the schools at least early next year. After all, online classes could be useful, but nothing can still beat in-person teaching and learning. Moreover, children need the company of their friends and the school environment for inclusive growth.
Until the vaccination process (of at least 70 percent of the population) is completed and herd immunity achieved, we cannot hope to rely entirely on lockdowns to curb the virus without doing our bit.
We cannot expect the Government alone to beat the virus if we do not heed the health guidelines which are very simple to remember and follow – wash your hands frequently, maintain social distancing, wear a face mask (or two), avoid crowded spaces and unnecessary travel and seek medical help/treatment if you suspect or develop Covid-19 symptoms.
These “New Normal” measures cost little or no money at all. Even the strictest lockdown will have no effect if the people find loopholes to evade the law and travel around.
People must also stop the spread of disinformation about the restrictions, Covid-19 and vaccines on social media, as this could have a really detrimental effect on society.
Pause before hitting ‘forward’ on the posts that you get on Facebook and WhatsApp, because some of them may contain fake news and false narratives on the above issues. A true understanding of the situation is needed to combat this once-in-a-century contagion.