In the continuing endless battle against Covid-19, among all the tools and methodologies that are being used, lockdown is the most preferred one by administrations, both across India and the world. Whenever the situations showed slipping out of control, unfailingly, it’s the lockdown on which trust has been bestowed as a reliable firewall. The total lockdown in the ICR, which after extensions will now remain in force till August 3 was thus unavoidable in the light of the rising Covid graph in the area, which, besides being the administrative nerve-centre of the state, has also a high population density. While it will effect a forced inertia in terms of normal activities of denizens, for the administration, contrarily, it’s time to be hyperactive to square up a host of very essential ‘dos’ that have been accepted as sine qua non in containing the pandemic. Undoubtedly, the foremost component to be taken into consideration is testing, and in state’s context, it’s the one where the gap between actual needs and those carried on ground is rather unhealthy. The unexpected surge of cases in the ICR has come as a reminder that testing must be a continuous process in the marathon war and preemptive preparedness in this regard, rather than waiting for a scenario when there will be an explosion of cases, as a strategy has no replacement. This holds true for the state as a whole and the ICR predicament is a lesson which conveys the message that tests must be increased over a particular area showing little or even the faintest of signs of Covid surge that prima facie seems harmless.

The gravity of the situation in ICR is quite visible and after the State Surveillance Officer’s statement which came on Monday that the region is standing on “thin line between local and community transmission,” it’s now clear that the war needs to be intensified. The most effective weapon, as reiterated by WHO is testing. In this regard, South Korea’s experience needs extra attention since the country has been exceptionally successful by stressing on testing, which really was on a mass scale. India has shown a lackadaisical attitude at the beginning and the delay is now being reflected in the graph’s rise. Late testing, specific to Covid context means late detection of individual(s) and a deferred isolation and medical attention, which thereby means a silent spread among contacts, primary or secondary alike in the meantime, leading to uncontrollable situations.

The state health apparatus must devote a good part of the lockdown to ramp up testing, by methods most conducive among the available ones like antibody, antigen, RT-PCR and TrueNat. All Covid combat strategies, however well-intended in nature, will be rendered ineffective, if the quantitative and qualitative aspects of testings remain ignored. 

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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