Amid fear of uncontrolled coronavirus spread looming large with thousands of new cases still being reported in the country every day, the Central government had to make tough decisions of relaxing restrictions considering social and economic implications. In its fresh standard operating procedures (SOPs) released on Wednesday, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has permitted all activities like social, religious, sports, entertainment, educational and cultural gatherings outside containment zones in closed settings with up to a maximum of 50 per cent or half capacity, while in case of open spaces, people will be allowed as per the size of the ground. The Centre has also allowed the states and union territories to impose restrictions like night curfew to control the spread of Covid-19, while prior consultation with the government is necessary to impose lockdown outside the containment zones. The new guidelines that will come into force on December 1 also asked the states to strictly follow the laid down rules to check the pandemic amid the ongoing festival season and onset of winter. In view of this, the government of Nagaland too has issued a revised SOP stating that there won’t be any restriction on the entry of returnees and travellers into the state by any mode of transportation, except the normal Inner Line Permit wherever applicable. But this doesn’t mean that travellers can do whatever they like; they still have to follow certain measures like self declaration, quarantine for 10 days, installing and registering nCOVID Nagaland Visitors App and Aarogya Setu etc. before they can start normal life.
What the public should remember is that the government is relaxing various restrictions imposed earlier not because we are out of Covid-19 danger or its spread has been contained but because of the need to resume economic activities that have been stalled since March. The virus made its way into the state despite strict measures being taken up by the government authorities as well as civil society organisations, to the extent of obstructing the movements of frontline workers. Now that all the entry gates to the state have been opened wide, the public should take extra precaution. Guidelines have been revised from time to time but what have remained unchanged since the lockdown was imposed are the basic, yet important preventive measures -- wearing of face mask, washing of hands and maintaining social distancing. Everyone must have heard and is aware of these measures by now. What still remains to be seen is collective positive response. The fact that thousands of people were caught without face mask in Kohima by the Association of Kohima Municipal Wards Panchayat in a matter of days; and the fact that lots of people, including shopkeepers in Dimapur still don’t adhere to government’s rule for mandatory use of protective clothes, clearly tells that complacency has crept in. But if the crisis worsens, blame games may start and force the authorities to impose lockdown, which too will invite criticisms from various quarters. The only way to avoid further inconveniences is by following preventive measures – collectively. We can’t and should not let our guard down till the battle is won, especially when there is hope of getting a vaccine for the virus in the next few months.