BHOPAL: People lowering the guard against virus and reduction in Covid-19 testing have added to the number of active cases in the state. While the government has attributed the spike in the number of cases to people’s negligence towards Covid-19 health protocols, the public has blamed the government for failing to take strict measures at the right time to arrest the infection spread.
The government cut down the rate of Covid-19 testing drastically and tracing of corona positive people too went down, this provided an environment for the virus to spread, believe the health experts. In Madhya Pradesh, Covid-19 centres were scrapped following the decline in corona cases, and looking at the situation today, it seems a big mistake, they added.
Thok Kirana Vyapar Mandal general secretary Anupam Agrawal held the government responsible for the rise in corona cases. “No doubt, state governments of respective states are responsible for the spike in Covid-19 cases. They have responsibility for conducting testing and regulating people. If the government continues to take a back seat, we will have to face another wave of coronavirus and again economic activities will be derailed,” said Agrawal.
New Market Businessmen Association general secretary Ajay Dewnani, however has a different take, he maintains that the government has done its job and now it’s people turn to act responsibly and take all precautions like wearing a mask, social distancing. “Government cannot bear expenses on testing anymore, people should themselves pay and get the testing done,” he added.
Dr ID Chaurasia said, Medical Superintendent of Hamidia Hospital, “ If the government says that the public have become careless then the point is ‘who controls the public?’ Overall it is responsibility and accountability of the government to regulate and control people. Government cannot shrug off its responsibility by blaming the people. This is not only happening in Madhya Pradesh, but in other states too and all this is leading to rise in active cases.”
The government, looking at a surge in Covid-19 cases, has come up with new stricter guidelines. People coming from neighbouring Maharashtra will have to undergo a week-long quarantine. Madhya Pradesh's eight districts - Chhindwara, Balaghat, Betul, Seoni, Khandwa, Barwani, Khargone and Burhanpur - share border with Maharashtra.
