The Covid pandemic scenario remains scary even though there were hints of a let-up in recent weeks. With India recording nine million plus Covid Positive cases as last count, the optimism about an early resumption of public activities in full is again on the wane. In principal, schooling will remain hit for more time.
Worldwide, the Covid infection figures totalled to around 58,00,000 by now. The US is struggling hard with the pandemic; so is Europe; and India is in a difficult plight as well. The Diwali revelry apparently added to the worries as cities including Delhi are now on a new alert. In this grim scenario, the silver lining is the announcement by various pharma giants that their anti-Covid vaccines are showing good results. Two pharma firms have said that their experiments showed 90 to 95 per cent success vis-à-vis the response from volunteers who took the jabs.
While plans here are to administer the vaccine to health workers and the elderly first, they being the most vulnerable to the virus infection, the general public can expect to get it from April. Areas that are mostly free from Covid spread might wait and vulnerable areas like Mumbai and Delhi might get it in the first stage itself. Progressively, in a matter of months, the vaccines could reach all. The government is planning to reach it free, or at nominal rates, while a pharma firm has said it could be sold at Rs 1000 for two jabs required for a patient. The storage and distribution patterns are now being put in order.
Now, capital Delhi came up with harsher steps to check the Covid spread and raised the fine for not wearing the face mask in public places to a hefty Rs 2,000. Gujarat has imposed night curfew in principal commercial town Ahmedabad during the weekend till Monday morning. Rajasthan reimposed restrictions since Saturday. Night curfew has been imposed on five districts in Madhya Pradesh including capital Bhopal. The Maharashtra government changed its decision to reopen schools in cities like Mumbai, where classes will not resume till the end of this year.
Union Health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan himself expressed optimism that the vaccine could be reaching people in a matter of three months or so. By then, several vaccines might be in circulation, as very many pharma companies across the world are working on introduction of safe and effective vaccines. Regulatory approvals are a must, though, before they are marketed. Hope is that the new vaccines will not have side-effects; a worry that might initially hold back many from having a jab.