The holiday season is here again and people are in a celebratory mood with Christmas and New Year just a few days away. The streets, especially in Dimapur and Kohima are bustling with life as people, including those from other districts are coming to these commercial areas for shopping. Movement of people is also more this season with many rushing home to spend time with their families, friends and loved ones, while some go on a trip to other places. Well, this has been the tradition for most people during festive season till the Covid-19 pandemic spoiled it all, forcing the people to avoid family get-togethers. The yearning to see friends and relatives could be more intense for many as the ongoing health crisis has disrupted the holiday season for two consecutive years. It is important to keep family reunion tradition alive and it is needed more today than in the past with loneliness and isolation taking a toll on the mental health of many. Travel restrictions due to the pandemic situation have forced many to cancel their holiday plans. Turning a blind eye to emotional and mental health in the process of fighting the pandemic could prove counterproductive. However, recent tragic history should not be allowed to repeat itself.
Last year, the government of India as well as the citizens become complacent after ‘successfully’ containing the spread of the virus in the country. People were carried away by festivities and political parties were busy conducting election rallies for assembly polls in several states. The so called social distancing became the butt of jokes as people gathered in large numbers during election campaigns. The days, weeks and months that followed were unforgettable as tragedy struck. The second wave of the disease hit the country harder than the first one and the situation got out of hand, thanks to utter complacency. Coincidentally, the pandemic situation has drastically improved this season like last year, complacency too appears to have set in and five states are going to polls between February and March in 2022. History could repeat itself if the people let their guards down like last year and do not pay heed to the warnings of health experts about an imminent new wave. The possibility is high with the new Omicron variant of Covid-19, which has been labelled as a variant of concern, spreading to several countries including India. It may be practically difficult for closely knitted communities like the Nagas not to mix with friends and families during occasions like Christmas and New Year but one can surely follow the basic SOP like hand washing, avoiding crowds, wearing mask and getting tested. Those not vaccinated should take the jab to minimise the spread of the virus. Now that everyone is aware of the nature of the deadly virus and how it spreads, we should strike a balance between celebrations and protecting public health. Safe celebrations should be the mantra this festive season if we want to avoid another wave of the disease.