Corona- the ring nobody wanted (Part II)

(continued from 'Corona- the ring nobody wanted' - part I) 

(to read part - I, click on the written heading of the blog 'The Babbling Brook', and access part I by scrolling down.)

It was this particular decision that spurred me to think about its implications.  And the implications were rather startlingly obvious, people began to venture out without masks, without observing the social distancing protocol (which mandates at least six feet or more of interpersonal distance), and without paying heed to their health at all. At first, the effects were rather negligible, but then, they made their presence felt when cases suddenly began to spike, and the hospitals found themselves temporarily out of beds and inundated with patients. 

This prompted the Government to take certain steps such as keeping a strict check on the number of cases, classifying areas of the country by the number and severity of cases, and dubbing them the red zones (severe containment zones with pre-June life restrictions), orange zones (medium containment zones with a mixture of restrictions and freedom) and green containment zones (completely normal zones); launching the Arogya Setu App which monitored the movement of people, their daily patterns, and so on, to prevent the transmission of the disease. 

The Government also gradually began to open up other businesses based in public spaces, such as bars, malls, and restaurants, which is precisely what motivated me to write this article, as this led to an increased spike in cases across the country (indeed, the current statistics say that the country just registered 80,000 cases yesterday), although I might point out that I do not blame the Government for the spike in cases, but instead the literate, educated citizens of our country who continue to indiscriminately break the rules all for a few moments of pleasure. 

While life cannot be allowed to stop, it must be observed that ‘Prevention is worth an ounce of cure’, as the old adage runs, something which our citizens seem woefully unaware of.

Admittedly, even this indiscriminate flouting of rules has its constraints because, to put it bluntly, life frankly isn’t the same, with barely a few people in the malls or restaurants, who have to observe innumerable precautions (sadly, some don’t) to simply spend a few moments there. 

Imagine going to a restaurant or a film theatre before March 22nd, 2020. All you had to do was dress up appropriately, carry some cash for lunch/dinner pre/post the film, and commute to that particular place. Once there, you would order a dish or watch a film, spend some time with your near and dear ones, enjoy the bustling crowds (or not), and come back home. 

And now, one has to wear a face mask (preferably an N95) at all times, carry a sanitizer, maintain six feet of distance from your fellow humans and avoid them like the plague, and simply pray that one does not touch anything save your own food (film theatres remain closed for business as films are now launched on OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Voot Select, Zee5, Alt Balaji, and so on) come back home via a cab or public transport and stand underneath the shower to remove all traces of the dust and grime of the world outside.  

It is the above paragraph that makes me think that the decision to re-open some of the public spaces is counter-productive because what good will it serve the businesses if the footfall is low? With operating costs running higher than the footfall, it spells losses for the businesses. Indeed, several businesses have closed down already, hurting the economy further. 

But as I had said, life must be allowed to go on, though not at the cost of Life itself, as I have mentioned above in the above paragraphs. 

And so, my dear readers, this is how the situation currently stands. Our entire life has become a game of cat-and-mouse with the nCov-19, and if one were to make a film about the same, one probable title could be’ Corona- the ring nobody wanted’. 

I wish all of you as well as your families and loved ones good health, and I shall be seeing you the next time! Ciao!