The Centre on Saturday urged states & UTs that are opening up after COVID-19 numbers drop to “ensure five-fold strategy”. The Centre’s urge comes one day after the Delhi HC issued a worrisome ruling that the overcrowding in the national capital may hasten the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Details
On Saturday, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla wrote a letter to all the states and UTs of the country, cautioning them against the potential third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and urged them to ensure COVID-19 appropriate behavior is maintained.
In his letter, Ajay Bhalla asked the states to ensure the 5-fold strategy of the COVID-19 appropriate norms. For those who may not know, the Centre’s 5-fold strategy includes test-track-treat-vaccinate & ensure COVID-19 appropriate behaviour. Bhalla further wrote that vaccination, in the current condition, is crucial step that break the chain of transmission.
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‘Step up vaccination speed’
Bhalla wrote-
“Therefore, all state and UT governments should step up the speed of vaccination to cover maximum number of people in an expeditious manner.”
Further, the Union Home Secretary also wrote that while the second wave of the pandemic was on the rise and sharp increase in cases was witnessed, states and UTs imposed restrictions and lockdowns to break the chain of transmission and curb the spread.
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Decisions should be taken as per ground level situation
The letter by Bhalla read-
“States and UTs, and many of them imposed restrictions in order to contain the spread of the infection. “With a decline in the number of active cases, many states and UTs have started relaxing restrictions. I would like to highlight that the decision to impose or ease restrictions has to be taken based on the assessment of the situation at the ground level.”
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States should open up in “carefully calibrated” manner
In his letter to States & UTs, Bhalla reiterated that opening up though may be necessary, the states and UTs must make sure that the process of opening up is “carefully calibrated”.
“While opening up, it would be extremely important to follow the five-fold strategy of Covid appropriate behaviour, test-track-treat and vaccination,”
-Bhalla urged.
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“Complacency to COVID-19 appropriate behaviour must not set in”
Bhalla also observed that the resumption of activities has led to resumption of crowding in markets where people are not adhering to COVID-19 appropriate behaviour. He wrote that consistent monitoring of that particular behaviour is essential so that a relapse of cases may be prevented. He also added that in the current scenario, use of masks, maintenance of hygiene, social distancing, and ventilation of closed spaces is of importance.
Bhalla also wrote that-
“It is therefore essential to ensure that complacency does not set in, and there is no let-up in adhering to Covid-appropriate behaviour while opening up activities.”
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Third Wave of Pandemic “Inevitable”: AIIMS Chief, Dr. Randeep Guleria
While the Centre came forward to warn the states & UTs to ensure that COVID-19 appropriate behaviour is maintained, Dr. Randeep Guleria, AIIMS Chief, today claimed that the third wave of the pandemic is “inevitable”. Guleria further gave a timeline to the crisis and said that the pandemic’s third wave may hit the country in the next 6-8 weeks.
Dr. Guleria’s statement came in the wake of overcrowding in states that have finally opened up. The AIIMS chief said how people have not learnt from what they saw during the first two waves and said that the fresh cases number will see another rise at national level.
“We don’t seem to have learnt”
“As we have started unlocking, there is again a lack of Covid-appropriate behaviour. We don’t seem to have learnt from what happened between the first and the second wave. Again crowds are building up… people are gathering. It will take some time for the number of cases to start rising at the national level. Third wave is inevitable and it could hit the country within the next six to eight weeks… may be a little longer,”
-Dr Guleria said.
Vaccination is the main challenge
The AIIMS chief also said-
“That (vaccination) is the main challenge. A new wave can usually take up to three months but it can also take much lesser time, depending on various factors. Apart from Covid-appropriate behaviour, we need to ensure strict surveillance. Last time, we saw a new variant – which came from outside and developed here – led to the huge surge in the number of cases. We know the virus will continue to mutate. Aggressive surveillance in hotspots is required.”
