It’s baffling how nations respond to COVID -19

Instructions on social distancing are pictured attached to railings on the front in Brighton, on the south coast of England, on April 5, 2020 (AFP)

Some states in America have declared golf, guns and ganja (marijuana) as essentials

Some human rights groups have warned governments that they shouldn’t invade into the privacy of individuals when tracking the Coronavirus

He alleges COVID 19 was designed by China to be used as a biological weapon

All the efforts taken by the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) to combat the COVID-19 pandemic have come in for praise except for the efforts taken to discipline some of the law breakers.   

The pandemic has exposed some of the various ways in which people and Governments around the world have responded to the crisis. Sri Lankans have been told to remain indoors and that essentials will be delivered to their doorsteps. Some states in America have declared golf, guns and ganja (marijuana) as essentials. In many places in Great Britain booze has been included in the list of essentials. And some human rights groups have warned governments that they shouldn’t invade into the privacy of individuals when tracking the Coronavirus. These groups, also Including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, and numbering 110 such organisations, have laid out eight conditions for governments when setting about the task of controlling the virus; especially when using surveillance technology in combat programs.   

In Sri Lanka a thief returned to his mode of generatng income. During an unsuccessful attempt at stealing valuables from a house in Bopitiya he was nabbed by neighbors.   

Ten policemen who went to arrest the thief were in for double trouble because they were forced to go into quarantine after the thief was tested positive for contracting the virus.   

This prominent lawyer based in the UK has filed a US Dollar 20 trillion law suit against China; because the pandemic forced his company to incurs a loss of US dollars 50,000 and layoff employees

A good number of the public has responded positively to the government guidelines issued for protection against the virus. Apart from the districts Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Puttalam, Kandy and Jaffna curfew in other districts was lifted on some days; granting people some breathing space. But when the curfew was lifted we saw the uncultured nature in some individuals surface.   

Some people ignored maintaining the mandatory distance of one metre between individuals. Some even failed to wear face masks. For the record the death total arising from COVID- 19 is relatively low in a country like Germany because people in this nation have strictly adhered to maintaining a one metre distance between two individuals. One thing which would serve us better for the future is if we continue with this practice of social distancing. In other words we also call it honouring private space. Apart from the guidelines issued to maintain social distancing the death rate from the virus has been kept low in Germany thanks to the widespread testing for the diseases, treatment and the availability of intensive care beds in abundance.   

People stand in a queue to buy kerosene oil at a fuel station in Sri Lanka during a nationwide lockdown imposed as a preventive measure against the spread of the COVID-19 (AFP) 

Like during any other past catastrophe the nature to give what we have as aid has been showcased in no uncertain terms. Goods are pouring in the form of bagfuls and lorry loads to collection centres. The GoSL even showed a heart of gold when the authorities accepted two passengers from a cruise ship that entered one of its ports; one of them being an elderly German lady whose health condition was deteriorating. The other passenger was a Sri Lankan chef. It’s good to live up to our name of being a hospitable nation. But many opine that the state must strike a balance between compassion and being tough when necessary. Many want the government to be tough on curfew violators and those with the virus who expose others to danger. Just the other day a man walked into Apeksha Hospital and concealed many of his ailments when questioned. Eventually he was diagnosed with COVID-19; but by that time he had exposed all the medical staff (Numbering 15) who attended to him to much danger. It might not come as a surprise if the hospital authorities file a law suit against this patient for walking into a cancer hospital and exposing so many to the dangers of the ongoing pandemic.   

Talking about law suits resulting from COVID-19 former federal prosecutor Larry Klayman is working on building international pressure on China and has invited Sri Lanka to join the cause.   

This prominent lawyer based in the UK has filed a US Dollar 20 trillion law suit against China; because the pandemic forced his company to incurs a loss of US dollars 50,000 and layoff employees. He alleges COVID-19 was designed by China to be used as a biological weapon.   

Some even failed t o wear face masks. For the record the death total arising from COVID 19 is relatively low in a country like Germany because people in this nation have strictly adhered to maintaining a one metre distance between two individuals

As much as medics around the world try to get a grip on the present virus through lab tests countries like Sri Lanka have done well to control the number affected by the pandemic.   

Reports reveal that China, the country where COVID-19 originated, has passed the peak stage of the virus. Sri Lanka is vulnerable because it has not got to that stage. May be Sri Lanka is only seeing the tip of the iceberg where the Coronavirus is concerned.   

Army Commander Shavendra Silva informing people who are quarantined to further isolate themselves for another 14 days suggests how serious the health issue is.   

The talk about the fall of greenhouse gas emmisions, the repairing of the Ozone layer and the wandering of w ild animals to parks and roads frequented by humans shouldn’t be a distraction to our focus on COVID-19   
The manner in which we have responded to the pandemic is more concerning than receiving applause.There was a report of a female who travelled in 15 delivery vehicles to get to her home in Mirigama; not knowing or not caring about whether she’d infect others with the virus she was battling against. So many vehicles have been taken into custody and a large number of people have been apprehended by the police for breaching curfew regulations.   
The government has shown a humane nature in addressing the pandemic, but now it seems that the GoSL has to shed the ‘Good guy image’ to put lawbreakers in their place!