The rage and rapid penetration of Coronavirus has already scared the entire world and by late Sunday evening, levels of concerns in India has also risen quite largely. Although the stage to press the panic button has not yet been reached, apprehensions are looming large since most countries who are recognised as medically superior than India in terms of infra have so far failed to  make much headway in containing this lethal virus. At this juncture, losing nerves will only aggravate the situation and most experts are repeatedly calling for taking as much precautionary measures as possible, which are perhaps the foremost needs of the hour. In this regard, Arunachal Pradesh has taken a batch of measures which have been declared on Sunday and following them strictly is the only wayout.
State government has decided to temporarily suspend issuing Protected Area Permits (PAPs) to foreigners to check the spread of Coronavirus. As a Northeast state, Sikkim has already done that on Thursday and this embargo must compulsorily remain till WHO officially declares that  danger is over. Rajasthan in this case has delayed in acting appropriately and there is now fear and near panic, making the fight process an ordeal of higher order. Meanwhile, with Bangladesh reporting its first Coronavirus case since the global outbreak, concern will rise further particularly for the Northeast which shares long border with this neighbour. Even if no COVID-19 case has been reported in Arunachal, the multipronged steps that have been announced to strengthen all surveillance and containment measures against a possible spread is a vital  need. 24x7 Control Room at State IDSP for responding to any queries on coronavirus regarding travel advisories, guidance documents and do’s and don’ts are all welcome and must remain alive and citizens must get respond from it in a manner that is desired at this critical moment. Masks are a great shield in this case, as that has been the general perception and it will now be as much an administrative challenge as a medical one to ensure that they do not become objects to mint money by taking prices to exorbitant levels. Any intention to create artificial scarcity must be dealt with strong hands and it will also be much rational to make efforts to convince the general public to stick to the basics rather than fall in the trap of panic. Most researchers are of the opinion than washing hands frequently might act as a good solution and this message, along with certain associated caveats preferably in local dialects must be spread through prolonged and effective campaigns. A blanket approach must be taken and the remote pockets must be equally attended and the usual tendency of doing things urban-centric might only mean an invitation to danger. 
A challenge has arrived and the state administrative machinery mustn’t let its people down.

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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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