With Covid cases surging, the state government on Sunday announced that all the Covid-19 restrictions have been extended throughout the state till 14 February. This means that mass gathering of people has been restricted. All physical classes till Class 5 shall remain suspended till 14 February. Universities, colleges and higher technical institutes shall regulate the timing of their classes with 50 percent capacity. The decision to continue to regulate the opening of schools and running of colleges is baffling when the state government itself has been found flouting the restrictions.
There are celebrations attracting large crowds going on across the state. Some of these celebrations are being organized by the state government itself. If it is sincere about fighting Covid-19, it should first set an example and strictly follow the restrictions imposed by the health department. Assuming that the Omicron variant is less dangerous, the people of the state, including politicians and health department officials themselves, are taking things very lightly. They are imposing restrictions on ordinary citizens but they are not following themselves. Post 14 February, the state government should revisit the restrictions related to Covid-19. Especially the schools should be reopened for the primary section too if the situation gets better. Children cannot be deprived of basic education. Online classes are a big failure in Arunachal Pradesh due to internet connectivity issues.