Sustaining flattening of pandemic curve

Decline in active COVID-19 cases to less than 12,000 in Assam has indicated that the pandemic curve has started flattening. However, Delhi recording the highest single day spike with 5673 cases since the outbreak of pandemic should sound the alarm bell that there is no room for complacency in Assam till the active cases comes down to zero. The state must remain prepared for sudden surge in active cases as people gathered in large number in public places violating physical distancing norms and many among them without the facemask in the last two days of puja festival. Delhi crossed the 5000-mark on a single for the first time on October 28 and the positivity rate jumped to 9.3 from 8.5 the previous day. Health experts have attributed the spike in Delhi to onset of winter and crowding in public places during festive season in violation of COVID-safety norms.

The guard against spread of virus infection must not be lowered in order to sustain flattening of the pandemic curve. Unfortunately, the political parties, both ruling and opposition, have failed at responsibility while organising public rallies and workers' meeting in different places. Physical distancing norms have been thrown to the wind while leaders and party organiser have refrained from wearing facemask in most of these rallies. This has made their followers and supporters more relaxed and derive the impression that safety measures in public places need not be strictly adhered to as before. With 2021 assembly elections drawing near it is quite natural that the parties will try to reach out to workers, supporters, and general public to gear up for the electioneering. They must keep in mind that unlike past elections the elections this time is being held in a pandemic situation which requires them adopt an appropriate approach so that their activities do not negate the gains achieved by the state against COVID-19.

The State government should convene an all-party meeting to sensitise all the political parties on their role in contributing to flattening the pandemic curve by strictly observing COVID-appropriate behaviour in the rallies organized by them. Instead of organising a big rally at any place, the parties should organise small rallies at multiple places so that there is no overcrowding at one place. Besides, local leaders and workers will also find it easier to enforce physical distancing norms and wearing of face mask if the crowd is small. Winter season is going to witness more public activities in the state with the schools scheduled reopen on November 2. The state education department has issued Standard operating Procedure and safety guidelines for staggered holding of classes. The State government has also decided to provide smartphones to students belonging to economically disadvantaged families to enable them to attend online classes.

However, smartphone is no solution for those areas which do not have internet coverage and therefore emphasis should be on strict observance of the safety guidelines by the schools in such places. The health of students is of paramount importance and school authorities must ensure that classrooms, toilets, and other places on the school premises are sanitised constantly to keep them free from COVID-19 and other infections. Experience of online classes are not encouraging in the state due to digital divide and therefore resumed offline classes must not be allowed to disrupt by spread of infection in the classrooms. Formal classes for class six and above will be held after seven months. Apart from the new normal of wearing facemask, physical distance the students will have to adopt to another new normal of attending classes in two shifts.

School authorities should keep an eye if adjusting to the new classroom ambience had crated any mental health issue on any of the students and must counsel them immediately if they come across any such incidence. The students should be given time to adjust to the new environment and mounting pressure of syllabus on them to make up for the lost classes must be avoided. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal during a meeting with officials of the education department on reopening of the schools stressed the need for extensive use of audio-visual tools, storytelling and other innovative method of gradually preparing the students for formal offline classes after a long gap. The State government should ensure that there is no mismatch in the observance of the COVID-19 safety for the students in the classrooms and outside the school premises. If they find elders on the streets violating safety protocols it will be difficult for the teachers to sensitise them on COVID appropriate behaviour on the school premises. Advantage of sensitising the students in the classrooms is that they will carry the message back to their homes for their parents and others in the neighbourhood. The onus lies on the elders to take note.