Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government’s decision to partially lift the lockdown in the wake of significant dip in death and positivity rate on Monday evoked a mixed response from the health experts with some terming the move as a right step while others calling the government move hasty.
“The decision of unlock at this stage is premature as positivity rate and death is still high,” says Doctors Association of Kashmir President Dr Nissar ul- Hassan .
“It is matter of life and government shouldn’t have come under public pressure to unlock and should have taken decision on the basis ofavailable data,” he said. “There should have been an unlock when there would have been 10 percent decrease in cases and deaths on daily basis for one week followed by 5 percent decline in another week.”
He said that there should have been unlock when tests being done should have increased and positivity rate should have gone down than five percent or there should have been four positive cases in one lakh population.
Dr Nisar, who is a known flu expert, said genome sequencing isn’t being done at large scale so nobody knows how many variants are presently in J&K. “Authorities are totally clueless about the real situation,” he asserted. “People are being asked every time to follow Covid appropriate behavior but there is still some laxity. Virus can bounce back and whatever we have gained in a lockdown of over a month, can go waste.” He said just few percent population have got fully immunized and most population is still susceptible to Covid-19.
Dr Muhammed Sultan Khuroo, renowned Gastroenterologist and Chairman Covid Advisory Committee says that this is the right time to unlock as government has to think both about disease and difficulties people are facing.
“It is guarded and supervised opening as it is partial opening as government is watching situation closely and lockdown cannot be indefinite,” he said, adding that government must ensure vaccination is done on all fronts and make sure that people follow Covid appropriate behavior.
He said that opening is a dynamic process as government is watching situation keenly and checking trend whether cases are decreasing or increasing and that accordingly decision is being taken.
Dr Khuroo said that government hasn’t given financial assistance to poor people and a partial opening was need of the hour for poor people so that they can earn their livelihood.
He advised public to follow Covid appropriate behaviour in letter and spirit, otherwise “we will back in trouble, so people must follow all precautions.”
“It is a collective responsibility of everybody and somebody should not take Covid appropriate behaviour lightly and action of one person can affect whole society, he said, adding that people should go out only when it is necessary and follow SOPs in letter and spirit,” he said, adding that
“Government should avoid in believing in fake things and get vaccinated whenever, they get time. Doctors who don’t know anything about virus shouldn’t talk about it.”
According to Dr Saleem Khan, Nodal Officer for Covid-19 and HoD Community Medicine at GMC Srinagar said that lockdown isn’t a permanent solution as it has repercussions as well but people must take care of what “we have gained during lockdown shouldn’t be spoiled.”
He said that there is an ease in restrictions not an ease in adhering to Covid appropriate behaviour and if people won’t follow precautions cases and deaths can increase further. Dr Khan said that everyone to play a positive role and collectively we have to fight it by adhering to Covid guidelines. (KNO)
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