It is indeed an extremely positive sign to see that the daily test positivity rate for coronavirus has been, as of September 19, below 7% for almost a week now. In fact, since the end of July, we have seen a downward trend in daily infection rates and deaths, and this is of course the desirable outcome.
However, we have been here before: A scenario with Covid looking to wane and the country relaxing before the next wave catches us off guard, and we are once again scrambling for resources, be they hospital beds which quickly get filled up to capacity, or oxygen cylinders which, when truly required, become inaccessible.
To that end, it is vital to pay heed to the warning of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), which has urged the public to remain cautious in order to maintain the downward trend in Covid-19 infections in the country.
We remain a long way from vaccinating the entire population of Bangladesh, and until we are successful in doing that, it is the civic duty of all citizens to abide by the Covid safety protocols that have been consistent since the beginning of the pandemic.
Similarly, the authorities concerned too have a duty to bolster health care facilities. Now that Covid numbers are down, this is the perfect time to make the necessary investments and improve our health care so that when another wave hits us, we are better prepared.
We remain in the middle of this pandemic, and both citizens and the authorities would do well to remain cautious about the future, rather than allowing complacency and a false sense of security to once again leave us unprepared.