Curfew first round: Record daily cases, fatalities
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: May 19, 2021 -

AS the 10 days of curfew imposed in the seven districts since May 8 couldn't make any significant change to the pandemic situation, extension of the restrictive order till May 28 will be crucial in determining whether Manipur will continue to remain in the vicious grip of the virus or not.

With the exception of Monday when the state reported 330 new cases, the lowest in a fortnight's time, the first 10 days under curfew had seen the highest spikes in both infections and fatalities.

For the record, the other lowest single day cases of 424 was reported two days after imposition of curfew while record spike of 730 people contracting the disease was logged on May 15.

In the same span of days, the number of fatalities remained in double digits, thus signifying that the government's efforts to tame the contagion haven't been successful in every aspect.

Taking into account of the fact that the daily positivity rate hovered around 20 per cent in both the pre and post-curfew period, effectiveness of the containment measures is definitely questionable for the 10 days showed no impressive figures to corroborate that the government authorities scaled up the vital tracing and testing exercise.

In fact, tests were conducted only when the citizens volunteered to examine themselves after family members contracted the viral disease or suspected to have come in close contacts with the confirmed vectors. As a protocol prescribed by health experts, lockdown or curfew period should be utilised to intensify contact tracing and testing to prevent further spread of the pandemic.

However, in Manipur's case the number of tests conducted every day remained static around the 3000-mark before and during the curfew, making it crystal clear that other than keeping the citizens virtually locked in their homes and allowing the virus to fan out in densely populated pockets the curfew served no real purpose.

That the curfew only delayed the inevitable spread of the contagion could also be comprehended from maximum number of daily positive cases reported in the seven districts, especially Imphal East and Imphal West, where prohibitory orders were enforced.

While states like Maharashtra, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh managed to bring down the number of infections after imposition of total or partial lockdown, it is disheartening that the spread of the pandemic was most intense and extensive in Manipur in-spite of the enforcement of curfew.

Thus, it is hoped that authorities concerned will introspect failure of the first round curfew to bring down the number of positive cases and initiate holistic measures to prevent further aggravation of the unprecedented health crisis in the state.

The government also needs to pay serious attention to reports that small-time traders of agricultural products and other consumable items have been violating the restrictive orders and flouting the standard safety protocols on a daily basis before the break of dawn in the periphery of the two capital districts.

As police teams are stationed at various strategic points there is no way these traders could defy the law if the law enforcement personnel diligently perform their assigned task.