Enforce strict measures to curb Covid spread

The Covid-19 situation in Bangladesh has turned quite bad over the past several weeks, with the rates of infections and deaths rising almost on a daily basis. In the 24 hours till 8am on January 31, 2022, there were 31 deaths and 13,501 fresh cases. The actual figures, as per the health minister himself, are much higher since the number of people getting tested is still quite low. Clearly, a lack of efforts from the government to contain the spread of the disease, coupled with people's unwillingness to follow health safety guidelines, have brought us to this situation.

Reportedly, the bed occupancy rate at our hospitals has already increased. According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), while the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) bed occupancy rate has doubled to 24 percent from January 1, the occupancy rate in the High Dependency Unit (HDU) has increased to 27 percent from 10 percent during the same period. Therefore, if we fail to take proper measures to curb the transmission rate right now, our hospitals will soon be overwhelmed with patients.

We must say that the initiatives taken by the government have not been adequate, and in some cases, not well-thought-out either. Although it imposed some 11 directives—including wearing masks in public places, limiting mass gatherings, and banning all big social events—at the beginning of January, very little has been done to enforce the restrictions. There were also contradictory measures: while the government asked people to avoid mass gatherings, it allowed the Dhaka International Trade Fair to continue, and kept all shopping malls and tourist destinations open. Schools were summarily closed, but all public events and gatherings continued as usual. Thus, it is evident that the government, just like the common people, didn't take the Omicron variant as seriously as it should have—perhaps because of its supposedly milder symptoms. The lack of farsightedness shown in this regard is quite shocking.

But given the fast rise in Covid infections of late, we have no other alternative but to strictly enforce all the restrictions imposed by the government, and prepare our healthcare facilities for the worst. Wearing masks and maintaining social distancing should be mandatory for everyone going outside. Experts also suggested banning any type of gatherings, including local elections. Moreover, in order to know the real scenario, the number of tests must be increased, which will help us prepare and plan better. The authorities may also consider making home test kits available to the public. But most importantly, the government should widen and expedite its vaccination campaign to protect more people from danger. All eligible individuals must be vaccinated as soon as possible.