The common and major news that has occupied our media outlets and our lives for the past two years is the very busy and extremely overwhelming pandemic. Coronavirus took over all our lives and masks, social distancing and lockdowns became a normal part of our lives.
The vaccines brought a slight sense of reprieve into our lives before the variants overtook and now we are again on the verge of lockdowns. The cases in India keep rising and unfortunately, even as the cases rise the habit of wearing a mask is going away.
What Seems To Be The Problem?
Reports have been pouring in from health officials all around the country that people have been neglecting wearing their masks as the pandemic gets more deadly and uncontrollable. The excuses range from ‘it is a sign of weakness’ to ‘they are not effective’.
Heavy fines have been implemented on people who do not wear their masks to discourage people from the habit. Various teams of officials have been assigned to ensure that strict COVID-19 protocol is being followed by everyone in every state.
“When you hear people offer explanations, you want to bang your head against a wall,” exclaimed Manish Chakraborty, an official from West Bengal who has been assigned to impose fines on those who are not following COVID-19 rules implemented in place by the Central Government.
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Kolkata police have been diligent in their task of prosecuting people for not wearing a mask for almost a year now. The myriad and unnecessary excuses have all meshed into one huge disclaimer which reads, ”I do not want to.”
The recent stricter rules and the ‘Mask Up’ campaign have seen a gradual change in the number of people wearing a mask on a daily basis. However, things still have a long way to go.
Lalbazar officers have been heard saying, “But still it is impossible to attain 100 percent success. Some people still make excuses for not wearing masks. Last year the majority of the people were unwilling to comply and would often question the utility of a mask. But now at least no one protests if someone is prosecuted without a mask.”
Festivals and religious gatherings have helped the covid cases to spike up even higher and with the lack of people’s regard for safety helping the spike. The week in between Christmas and New Year’s saw the most number of parties and Goa vacations in India.
During this time Siddesh Valvaikar, a volunteer, spent his free time handing out free masks to people on the scenic beaches of Goa. However, he was not met with an encouraging response or grateful words.
“When we gave them masks, people just threw them away,” he said.
Where Is The Country Heading?
Omicron has been proven to be less fatal than all other versions of the virus yet it is most definitely the fastest spreading variant. It has taken over the world within a couple of months of its discovery and it is bound to do the same in India.
It is going to overwhelm the hospitals and the staff once again leading the country into a deadly third wave which can be safely and possibly avoided.
Vaccines are the armour that we definitely need to be able to fight this pandemic however, the usage of masks and social distancing needs to be strictly followed to provide extra security to our immune systems.
Using a mask while out and about is the basic decency anyone can practice and it is high time that we wake up and understand the gravity of the situation!
Image Sources: Google Images
Sources: IndiaToday, HindustanTimes, NYTimes +more
Meet The Blogger: Charlotte
This Post Is Tagged Under: media outlets, pandemic, Coronavirus, masks, social distancing, lockdowns, vaccines, variant, health officials, deadly, uncontrollable, Heavy fines, COVID-19, West Bengal, COVID-19, Central Government, Kolkata, ‘Mask Up’ campaign, Lalbazar officers, Festivals, religious gatherings, covid cases, Christmas, New Year, Goa vacations, India, Omicron, virus, hospitals, third wave, immune systems
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