Since the onset of Covid 2.0 in India, medical experts have been reminding citizens that besides the most trusted tool in the fightback which is vaccination, adhering to each and every safety protocol is not only necessary, but has become double important this time, exclusively due to the apprehension the new strain which is presumably at work is more lethal than its predecessor. While the entire country is desperately awaiting the days when the much needed demand-supply parity in terms of vaccine(s) supply will be restored, for citizens it’s a war within to change the habit of disobeying Covid SOPs. Finding this behavioral attitude to be like a dog’s tail, governments, both Centre and states have acted tough. In Jalandhar a few days back, police didn’t spare even the groom and arrested him for organizing his wedding party which saw an attendance of over 100, where the protocol was not more than 20 people. Apparently, it will seem too harsh. But, the police have been compelled to be so given the compounding criticality of the crisis and to send a caveat to citizens to follow rules or land behind bars. Unfortunately, such irresponsible fellows can be found in every city, town and mofussil.

In Arunachal, cases are rising in the same wavelength witnessed at the national level. The first Covid war in the state has seen minimal bleeding compared to the rest of the country only since there was a collective effort involving all layers of society. This was despite the fact that there were laxities on part of a certain percentage of citizens in obeying safety rules. This time however, those who think that maintaining SOPs is still a matter of choice and not a compulsion are surely going to be caught on the wrong foot. While almost all the studies made in 2020 failed to establish conclusively that coronavirus spreads through air, only a week ago a report published in The Lancet has stated the virus that causes Covid is an airborne pathogen. This, coupled with latest scientific findings that the new strain has faster transmission capabilities is like a double-edged sword for citizens. Those who will wear masks, maintain social distancing and wash hands at timely intervals will survive, or else perish before having the opportunity to get vaccinated. District Administrations have launched efforts in this direction which need a letter and spirit implementation until the state’s vaccination coverage reaches a percentage level appropriate for attaining the much-awaited herd immunity.

As of now, unlike the rest of India, reportedly there’s no shortage of vaccines in the state. Arunachal’s Covid 2.0 battle must see a repetition of 2020’s efforts and essentially include a greater obligation by citizens towards SOPs and early vaccination.