Given the way the death toll has been rising, it is not surprising that we find ourselves facing yet another nationwide lockdown starting Monday. As unpopular as the decision may be in some quarters, let us face it: This is necessary. In fact, this time around, the authorities need to make sure the lockdown is done right. That means, all the rules of the lockdown need to be followed to the letter, at the same time, people with legitimate emergencies should not be subject to undue harassment. This lockdown is here, after all, to save lives, not make life even harder.
The numbers paint an extremely grim picture of where we currently stand. We have just witnessed at least 108 deaths within a 24-hour period, the second deadliest day for us since the pandemic began. 5,869 people tested positive for the disease, with an infection rate of 21.22%.
This sharp rise is attributable to the Delta variant, and while it may be extremely disheartening to admit, in many respects we are back to square one. We therefore need to take lockdown this time around more seriously than we have before. Earlier this year, the successful vaccine rollout gave a ray of hope that the end of the pandemic may be just around the corner. But the truth is, there is a very long way to go in terms of full vaccination for our population, and already we are plagued by supply problems. Further complicating the picture is the emergence of new variants, about which we still do not know enough. At this point, our best bet is to hunker down and wait out this crisis.
