How To Stop Covid's Second Wave

A combination of new strains, vaccine hesitancy and Covid-denial among people at large has led to a potent second surge of cases in India. We must do more than step up the vigil and ramp up the ongoing vaccination drive

- Sonali Acharjee

Covid was always an insidious enemy. In March 2020, it crept up on us without fair warning. In March 2021, just when we thought we had got the better of the virus, dropped our masks, shunned social distancing, opened up our offices, wedding venues, hotels, gyms, cinema halls and even swimming pools, it struck again, rudely reminding us that it hadn’t gone anywhere. From 1,000-2,000 new cases a day in the beginning of March, the number of daily infections/new cases reached 7,000-8,000 towards the end of the month. By April 1, active cases in the country touched 610,927, from 165,000 just a month ago. On April 6, India saw 115,312 new cases in 24 hours—the highest figure since the onset of the pandemic. Covid’s spread has always been exponential—starting as a trickle and turning into a torrent. It is something states like Kerala, Maharashtra and Delhi have seen happen at least twice before. It is something the rest of the country forgot.