Too Close for Comfort

COVID: SECOND WAVE

- Sonali Acharjee

On November 1, as Kerala opened its beaches to the public for the first time in months, the state had 89,675 active Covid cases, the second highest in the country after Maharashtra, up from only 16 active cases in May. Some experts attribute the spike in case numbers entirely to public complacency, to people focusing more on the economic cost of lockdowns than the reason they are being imposed and the public health benefits of doing so. And now, though health officials have warned against a hasty easing of restrictions on movement and public gatherings, beaches, parks, museums and other areas of tourist interest have been opened up. What this throws into relief about the challenge of containing the spread of the virus is that the economic costs of a lockdown or even severe containment are too high for governments to ignore. Hence, the new state predisposition to opening up, even while insisting that people take necessary precautions to ensure their own safety and of those they are likely to be in touch with.

“There has been pressure from both sides—the public health administration and the economy,” says a nodal officer from the Kerala government’s health department. “On one hand, the festive season, particularly Onam celebrations, sent numbers rising. So, doctors and scientists are critical of reopening public spaces. But equally, one cannot ignore the rising public discontent and the lack of jobs. Even if we kept the state closed, people are frustrated enough to ignore restrictions. So we decided to take a chance. But if things do not improve, we might have to enforce a lockdown.”