With the number of Covid-19 cases rising in Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the government of Arunachal finally swung into action on Wednesday. The health department has issued an advisory to all the deputy commissioners to strictly implement Covid-appropriate behaviour and other measures to avoid any spike in Covid-19 cases in Arunachal. Hopefully, the deputy commissioners will take the directive seriously. The sudden surge in Covid-19 cases is a matter of serious concern. The situation has worsened so much in states like Maharasthra that the government is considering re-imposing lockdown measures.
Many Arunachalees, especially students and medical patients, travel to states like Maharashtra and Punjab. There is every possibility that the virus might further spread through the people travelling to these states. Mandatory RTPC testing and strict home quarantine measure should be implemented for the people returning from high-risk states. Also, its time that government again strictly imposed measures like wearing of mask and maintaining of social distancing. In recent months, the people of the state have stopped following the standard operating procedure (SOP) of Covid-19. Hardly anyone wears masks and no social distancing measures are being followed. The health officials have constantly warned that the second wave of Covid-19 infection is going to be worse than the first one. Therefore all measures should be in place before the second wave hits the state.