'Give equal thrust to vaccination and testing'
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 09 2021: The People's Task Force for COVID-19 (PTFC-19) has appealed to the State Government to give equal emphasis on both the yaccination and testing to effectively deal with the raging pandemic.

PTFC-19, in a press release, noted that it has been keenly observing the Covid situation in the State and added that the Government seems to be giving more thrust on the vaccination process in the recent weeks and less to screening and testing process.

The State Government ought to give equal weight to both and ramp up the pace of both, it added.

Vaccination is indeed a good step but it is not the cure for vaccinated people still can get infected and transmit the virus at the same time.

As such mass testing is required regardless of who has been jabbed or not so as to identify, isolate, treat and undertake various safety measures, it said.

Despite having adequate testing equipment and vaccine, a host of Covid variants have been infecting the people irrespective of age groups rapidly, it said while expressing that the situation can be brought under control only when the vaccination and testing/screening go side by side and outpace the spread of the virus.

House campaigns and gatherings in view of the upcoming State Assembly Election largely violate guidelines enforced to curb the spread of the virus and as such PTFC does not encourage such activities, it said and urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to take note of the situation.

PTFC-19 also appealed to ECI to come up with a conduct rule which encompasses various safety aspects to avoid crowding during election considering the fact that saving lives is the priority of the Government.

Appealing to local clubs to strictly check sale of tobacco products in their respective localities, PTFC-19 declared that it will start taking action against those facilitating transport and sale of these items which are detrimental in the fight against the pandemic.

Comment