The decision to unlock the state capital and a few districts starting June 7 must have brought a considerable sense of relief among citizens. A lockdown is always the last thing a citizen wants and the seven-day extension in the ICR particularly has seen overflowing discontent. However, now that it has been lifted, a great quantity of onus now awaits the citizens who will decide the direction of the Covid graph of the respective districts in particular and that of Arunachal Pradesh in general. It’s no rocket science- if there is absolute obedience to the set-out self-precautionary measures, Covid can then only be beaten, otherwise, it will be better to remain prepared for further rounds of lockdown. This time, administration(s) needs to be tougher and shouldn’t think twice to invoke the relevant sections of law to ‘tame’ habitual violators.

Expectedly, the process of unlocking from the 2^nd week of June has begun in many states. Just as the upward Covid graph has been the compelling reason for applying the lockdown tool a month earlier, now the reasons are purely economic and ‘calculated risk’ has to be taken. States’ coffers have almost been emptied and without recommencing the usual economic chores that would trigger tax collections, financial health revival is impossible. Decoding Arunachal’s current Covid situation in overall terms will be rather challenging since there are district-wise variations in terms of cases and casualties. While there are districts even though few in numbers where the 2^nd wave hasn’t invaded or has a minimal effect, there are a number of others where the air of concern is high and fightback strategies need to be rolled out accordingly. In any case, it will be a difficult and premature view to take that the state as a whole has entered the post-peak phase. For that, a few more weeks will be necessary to allow a more clear picture to emerge. Nonetheless, the dual factors of accelerated vaccination and citizens’ responsibility will continue to count. The first one ought to be shouldered by the Central Health Ministry and since there are ‘tall assertions’ that vaccines would be supplied to the states seamlessly, Arunachal, with a tiny population size mustn’t be disheartened. The one and only target of the state must be to attain herd immunity within a shortest-possible time frame.

With the state's vaccination coverage status still not bright, the administration must be particular there are no mass gatherings for reasons whatsoever at least for the next three months and citizens behave responsibly. Indeed, with unlocking, a determining phase of Covid 2.0 battle has commenced in the state.