After the massive rallies of the Bengal elections with the Prime Minister of India leading in the forefront, Bengal is now battered under a terrible attack of COVID storming through the state with Asansol, arena ground of the elections hit particularly hard.
On Friday, West Bengal logs the highest one-day spike of 19,216 COVID-19 cases with 112 more fatalities. It is also notable that the new virulent variant B1.617 found in Bengal is highly infectious and “is of concern”, says Union Health Ministry. The presence of B1.617 along with the massive elections adds fuel to fire. This new strain has a significant presence in Maharashtra, West Bengal, Karnataka. It is believed that crowding gives rise to new mutants.
It is believed that crowding gives rise to new mutants.
Right now, Asansol, a metropolitan city in West Bengal still seems to be in a slumber about the ramifications of not distancing and masking is still in a market mode, first with elections and now in bazaars and as crowds throng along after the elections. On the other hand, hospitals are suddenly overflowing with COVID-positive patients.
Right now, while West Bengal has already delivered free vaccinations to the citizens, they are running out of vaccines and many hospitals have signs hung out, “No Vaccines Available.” Hospitals’ isolation beds are running out and oxygen is low while on the other hand, COVID cases are swiftly rising.
The public seems ignorant of COVID norms and seems still clueless of the COVID storm about to strike far more ruthlessly than ever. In the dearth of vaccinations, medicines, and oxygen, the loss of lives is increasing.
While there are limited local train services, public gatherings are huge and maskless. It is notable during COVID in 2020, only one-third of Bengal was masking. Presently people are running from pillar to post in search of medicine, hospital beds, oxygen, and other essentials.
To go back a couple of weeks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, campaigning in Bengal on Saturday, caused a flurry when he seemed to praise the large crowd at his rally in Asansol – on a day India reported a record 2.34 lakh new COVID cases and the active caseload spiked to an all-time high of 16.8 lakh.
“I have come here twice during Lok Sabha elections. Last time I came to seek votes for Babulji (Union Minister Babul Supriyo, who is the Asansol MP). The first time I came for myself. But the crowd was only a quarter of this size…” he said.
“… but today, in all directions I see huge crowds of people… have witnessed such a rally for the first time… Today, you have shown your power. The next step is more important – go and vote and take others also,” Prime Minister Modi said.
Health experts propagate isolation and lockdowns as a powerful strategy to break the chain of the virus, but with the Prime Minister leading in the forefront with such masses, people will never understand the importance of masking and distancing and COVID clouds will continue to fume through India.
Health experts propagate isolation and lockdowns as a powerful strategy to break the chain of the virus, but with the Prime Minister leading in the forefront with such masses, people will never understand the importance of masking and distancing and COVID clouds will continue to fume through India.