Active cases below 3 figure mark Eyeing nil cases

Active cases below the three figure mark with 99, as on February 7. A reflection of the reality that the number of fresh positive cases has seen a sharp drop in the last many days pushing the recovery rate to above 98 percent. This is good and well and goes along with the Nationwide trend where new infection has seen a sharp drop from as high as a little over 99 thousand on a single day some months back. It is this figure which prompted Chief Minister N Biren to openly express his hope that the number of active cases may soon get reduced to zero and this is something which everyone would be pinning their hopes on. 2020 was all about Covid, lockdown, restrictions, face masks, social distancing and personal hygiene which entails frequently washing one’s hand with soap and water or with a hand sanitiser. Along with the three commandments of face mask, physical distancing and personal hygiene, the line, ‘get yourself vaccinated’ may be added and if 2020 was about the first three slogans, then 2021 or at least the early part of year 2021 may well be remembered by the slogan ‘get vaccinated’ with the addendum ‘trust the two vaccines which have been introduced for the safety of the public.’ This is not to say that the three commandments of 2020 can be forgotten for the line, ‘Even after being vaccinated, always wear a face mask, maintain social distancing and ensure personal hygiene’ still stands and obvious that this new social behaviour will come to define the New Normal, as stated many times earlier in this column. A sure indication that no one can afford to let their guards down and with no one fully understanding how the virus behaves, much less how it may behave in the coming days, mankind will have to adapt to the New Normal and take it from the understanding of New Normal to just Normal.
Zero positive cases. This is what everyone would want to see it become a reality and the responsibility lies on each and everyone. This means that no fresh cases should be reported for days, while the recovery process should continue. This is where it becomes important for everyone to realise that flattening the curve is the responsibility of everyone. Let any new infection stop with A and give no room for the virus to move from A to B. This is where the call of the three commandments becomes extremely important. It would also do good for the State Government to study why there has not been such an enthusiastic response to the call for vaccination. At the moment, only a little over 8 thousand healthcare workers are reported to have received the vaccine shots and this is where the Government will need to move beyond warnings against spreading unfounded rumours and get down to the business of exactly studying how to dispel apprehensions from the minds of the people. As observed earlier here, perhaps it would be in the fitness of things for the political leaders of the day to take the lead and show to the people that they have received the vaccine shots and they are perfectly fine. The fight against the virus is the responsibility of everyone and this is where it becomes important for everyone to remember that receiving the vaccine shot is as much as about securing oneself as it is about not endangering others.