Welcome curbs

Curbs on business and social life are welcome. However, appropriate and safe behaviour still remains our first line of defence against omicron

The curbs on normal life announced by the Jharkhand government are a The experience gained by our government in the course of dealing with the severity and unexpected challenges caused by the pandemic will certainly prove valuable in the times to come.

Although all indications point out to a mellowing down in the severity of the disease caused by the Even if milder than the previous delta variant, it still has the potential of overwhelming our health systems and causing unnecessary casualties.

One recent study has shown that vaccinated patients show strong immune response to this variant than other variants.

Despite the fact that the omicron variant is not so virulent, the high transmissibility of this variant means the cases may start climbing up very soon. And so will the number of hospitalisations and deaths.

To keep the entire health system pruned and synched up, it is necessary to keep the number of infections under control.

Keeping this in view, the decision of the state government to impose curbs on daily business and life is well-timed and wise.

However, how successful these measures prove would ultimately depend on how the citizenry behaves and responds to the state government’s call to keep new infections under check.

Covid-appropriate behaviour and masking, apart from vaccinations, still remain our best defence.