TURA, Oct 18: A significant number of citizens in Garo Hills is gradually pulling away from the mandatory preventive measures against COVID-19 and dropping their guard, believing that the infection is fading away due to which the primary lines of defence against the disease — wearing of face masks in public and hand sanitising — are suddenly turning out to be things of the past. This has started to worry health and surveillance teams in the region.
“Just because the number of infections have dropped doesn’t mean it is no longer deadly and fatal,” says a COVID-19 surveillance doctor.
The prevalence of the virus can still be felt with the reports of recent COVID-related deaths. Only recently, a mother and daughter succumbed to COVID-19 in Williamnagar.
While the 26-year-old woman, who was undergoing treatment at the Williamnagar Civil Hospital, passed away on Saturday, her 55-year-old mother, on the other hand, died of post-COVID complications a day later in the same ward.
Both of them were unvaccinated against COVID-19.
An interstate travel history of the father is suspected to have unknowingly passed on the infection.
This incident has, once again, brought into focus the importance of quarantine and testing protocols for those who return from travel as well as those who develop symptoms.
The ongoing election campaign for the bypoll in Rajabala too is drawing mammoth crowds at political rallies where a majority of people are seen throwing caution to the wind.
With business activities once again getting back their vigour and footfall across markets increasing, people are losing touch with the key requirements of hand-sanitising and wearing face masks, although the war against COVID-19 is far from over.