Paying the price for negligence

The Public Health Inspectors’ Union (PHIU) warned prior to the Sinhala and Hindu New Year of another spike of COVID-19 in the country after the festival, citing the obvious scant regard by the people for health guidelines. Their warning was unheeded both by the relevant authorities and the people and the latter used the long holiday for excursions to various destinations with families and friends.   

The prediction has come true; we are witnessing apparently the beginning of a third wave of the pandemic which is likely to take a toll heavier than the previous two waves took. Yet, even after the health authorities warned of a third wave large crowds were seen in places like Nuwara Eliya on Sunday, disregarding the health instructions such as social distancing and wearing face masks about which they had been educated for over a year. 

 
As the Sinhala saying goes, the bull is butting the man who lies fallen from the tree; a more dangerous variant of the coronavirus has been identified in the country, according to the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. Prof. Neelika Malavige of the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine at the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the University announced on Friday that the new variant of the virus is airborne and more potent and contagious than all those variants found previously in Sri Lanka.  

At the same time, the situation on the ground too is fast worsening, according to health authorities. The number of people infected with coronavirus and the deaths due to COVID-19 which was said to be on the decline prior to the New Year is on the rise now. This may be possibly due to the potent of the new variant of the virus. Sri Jayewardenepura University’s Immunology and molecular Medicine Department Director Dr. Chandima Jeewandara had stated that a spike in youth cases has been noted.  

Although one might say that the government is closing the stable door after the horse has bolted, the authorities are taking some preventive measures which the PHIU seems to consider not adequate. On Sunday police have arrested around 200 people for ignoring health instructions, Schools in Trincomalee have been closed, all State and private sector functions have been banned, attendance of the State sector employees is to be limited and  many areas in the country are being isolated and arrival/departure terminals of the Katunayake International Airport have been closed for visitors. The Health Ministry has issued a new set of guidelines to be adhered to by individuals and institutions. Besides, a number of countries such as the US, the UK and Australia have issued travel advisories on Sri Lanka.   

Reckless behaviour on the part of the people is not a new phenomenon. We have been witnessing this situation from the beginning of the COVID pandemic in Sri Lanka in March last year. It is the responsibility of the State to put in place a proper mechanism to regulate their conduct when and where it is needed. However, the authorities ignored the warning by the PHIU issued prior to the New Year to take measures to prevent gatherings during the festive season. It would have also been a difficult and unpopular decision for the government to curtail movements of the people during the festive season when it is already being bashed over the spiraling cost of living, destruction of the environment, sugar tax fiasco, allegations on the failure to find the masterminds of the Easter Sunday attacks etc. 

 
It was the laxity on the part of the health authorities that led to the second wave as well in October last year when only around 3000 positive cases of COVID-19 and a dozen deaths due to the pandemic had been reported. However, due to lack of random PCR and Rapid Antigen Tests being conducted in places where large crowds were gathering and working two large clusters emerged in Minuwangoda and Peliyagoda from where the virus had spread all over the country. Finally, despite the number of daily PCR tests being slashed from 17,000 to around 5000, the number of positive cases reported had reached 100,000, before this Sinhala and Hindu New Year.   
Now, we seem to have entered the period of the third wave. The PHIU is of the view that the country should be locked down at least for three or four days while claiming that undetected COVID-19 patients were roaming the streets in various areas. It goes without saying that such harsh measures would hit hard the economy which is already in the doldrums. At the same time, if the situation got out of hands, the authorities would have to take harsher measures.