W hile the nationwide lockdown has entered its third phase, some relaxations announced by the Government however have been taken by a section of people as a kind of total relaxation. Though the Government has been repeatedly publicizing the new lockdown norms and the various relaxations thereof, many places have started looking like total lifting of the lockdown. According to the Lockdown-3 guidelines, while standalone shops can open, only every third shop can open in other areas, and that too only on certain days of the week, so that every shop remains open by rotation two to three days a week. A look at the Maharashtra situation is enough to understand the gravity of the situation. Of the 49,000 cases in the country, as many as 15,525 are in Maharashtra; the death toll there crossed the 610 mark on Wednesday. Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday expressed concern over the situation in Maharashtra. Altogether 34 of the state's 36 districts have been affected. A number of police personnel and healthcare workers including doctors have been tested positive in Maharashtra, further complicating the situation. In Assam, there is hardly any town where people did not flout the lockdown rules after the phase 3 began. The number of vehicles seized and the amount of money recovered as penalty are enough to gauge the status of violation. While a number of people continue to move around without wearing a mask, spitting in public places has continued, though much less than before. What appears is that the message emphasizing the importance of 'No Spitting' has not gone down well among the masses. A special campaign is what is required, where film and sports personalities, MLAs and MPs, religious leaders and students should play an important role. As far as violations are concerned, the Government must adopt a stricter stance. If Assam wants to become completely COVID-free, there can be no room for complacency.
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