The entire human race is fighting against an invisible and lethal enemy, COVID-19. Emerging from Wuhan, China since Dec 2019, it has created havoc across the world effecting 2,000,728 people and 126,776 patients have died so far globally.
In Pakistan, the toll has risen up to 5,988 and the death rate is 107 recorded so far, which is not a good ratio. It appears coronavirus rollercoaster ride is about to get rougher unless Allah wills otherwise.
Even according to official figures, the virus is already spreading faster than before. The daily increase in newly diagnosed cases has been systematically escalating to now routinely 300+ per day whereas it was only around a hundred or so ten days ago.
The peak is nowhere in sight, not even factoring in the fact that testing is woefully inadequate and there is no account of the tens of thousands of infected persons walking amongst us.
COVID-19: Toll increases in Pakistan, Lockdown extended
The situation is exacerbated by the fact that the concept of social distancing and, despite the lockdown, staying home is yet to be embraced by a large portion of our society.
To make matters worse, traders unions have announced they can no longer implement the lockdown and will open their businesses from today.
Also, the religious Ulema have announced that congregational prayers in mosques will resume from today and continue through Ramadan, albeit with precautions like social distancing, which would appear to be practically impossible to enforce.
In addition to the traders and Ulema defying the lockdown, the government itself has exempted a long list of businesses from the lockdown like electricians, bakeries, tailors, etc.
That means not only the suppliers for these businesses and support staff but also customers will be allowed to move about. So who does that leave in the lockdown? For all effective purposes, the lockdown is over. Which means new cases are likely to spike more than before.
Add all this together and it becomes clear that the government has lost control. If they can not effectively implement the lockdown then the paradigm of organized social conduct of affairs will have collapsed.
Coronavirus vs. Social Distancing: A changing paradigm of social interaction
At a time when the virus is accelerating its assault, this is a very dangerous situation to which the authorities have no answer. It is unrealistic to expect the government to serve as our nanny if the society is embarked upon a suicidal mission.
An effective and safe vaccine cannot be expected before the start of next year at least, so until then, we should all vigilantly play our part in maintaining the safety rules of social distancing and self-isolation.
Pay special attention to your hygiene, by washing your hands repeatedly with soap and keep your surroundings clean and disinfected. Workplace hygiene should also be a priority and special measures need to be taken to ensure safe working environments for the employees.
We are living through a pandemic, so fighting it, containing it, or preventing it, is not the responsibility of the scientific research teams alone, or the government, or even solely the public, rather it is the joint effort of all these combined.
Baaghi TV urges you to play your part as a responsible citizen by staying at home to ensure the safety of yourself, your loved ones and the community.
Stay tuned to Baaghi TV for the latest news and updates.
