Publish : 28 Nov 2021, 01:26 AMUpdate : 28 Nov 2021, 01:26 AM
Over the past two months, the Covid situation in Bangladesh has largely been under control, with test positivity rates and daily deaths both in single digits. Plenty of credit should go to the authorities concerned for prioritizing vaccination in this regard as well.
However, as we have seen in the past, new variants can quickly change the situation in any country, particularly when nations become lackadaisical and fail to realize that, despite present conditions, we remain in the middle of a pandemic, with a virus that continues to mutate and change.
To that end, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) being on high alert to tackle the situation at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport after the detection of a possibly vaccine-resistant Covid-19 variant by the World Health Organization is the correct mentality to adopt.
Bangladesh will likely halt flights from South Africa in the wake of growing concerns over the new Covid-19 variant Omicron and there are other areas in Europe and East Asia which could potentially be affected as well; with this new strand being reportedly more aggressive, increased caution is indeed necessary and the authorities must figure out the best course of action.
The health minister has called for everyone to follow hygiene rules and to not panic, along with getting vaccinated for those who still have not received their jabs. This is indeed the most sensible first step for basic protection. The most effective preventative measures still are masking and maintaining social distancing when appropriate.
Moving forward, it is important for the government to continue to pay heed to the experts and stakeholders and choose the most sensible course of action. We have been caught out in the past, and the last thing we want is for a new wave to wreak havoc on the lives and livelihoods of the Bangladeshi people once again.
ED: Being vigilant is the best course of action
Over the past two months, the Covid situation in Bangladesh has largely been under control, with test positivity rates and daily deaths both in single digits. Plenty of credit should go to the authorities concerned for prioritizing vaccination in this regard as well.
However, as we have seen in the past, new variants can quickly change the situation in any country, particularly when nations become lackadaisical and fail to realize that, despite present conditions, we remain in the middle of a pandemic, with a virus that continues to mutate and change.
To that end, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) being on high alert to tackle the situation at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport after the detection of a possibly vaccine-resistant Covid-19 variant by the World Health Organization is the correct mentality to adopt.
Bangladesh will likely halt flights from South Africa in the wake of growing concerns over the new Covid-19 variant Omicron and there are other areas in Europe and East Asia which could potentially be affected as well; with this new strand being reportedly more aggressive, increased caution is indeed necessary and the authorities must figure out the best course of action.
The health minister has called for everyone to follow hygiene rules and to not panic, along with getting vaccinated for those who still have not received their jabs. This is indeed the most sensible first step for basic protection. The most effective preventative measures still are masking and maintaining social distancing when appropriate.
Moving forward, it is important for the government to continue to pay heed to the experts and stakeholders and choose the most sensible course of action. We have been caught out in the past, and the last thing we want is for a new wave to wreak havoc on the lives and livelihoods of the Bangladeshi people once again.
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