The return of COVID – the States must take over now

The fact that India was headed towards another COVID-19 surge became quite apparent by the second week of March 2021 as the number of cases rose steadily, as did the number of deaths per million by the end of March. Post-February, the positivity rate was also witnessing a steady increase. Even with evidence from other countries regarding the devastating second wave and the eventuality of a lockdown, in this period, no attempts were made to curb public gatherings, restrict internal movement or provide any income support to ease the process of a lockdown in the event of one.

Large parts of the world have undergone a second wave despite adequate mechanisms in the place. There was always an inkling that India would also not be spared, and given the inadequacies in healthcare, the effects would be debilitating. The pandemic fatigue in the general population had become glaringly evident on several occasions, such as Holi festivities and the Kumbh Mela, with most masking and social distancing protocols being abandoned. Google mobility data indicated that public transit stations, grocery stores, outdoor spaces, recreation, workplaces and even retail showed an upward movement towards pre-pandemic levels post-September 2020, compared to the period preceding it.

Last December, 29 cases of the mutant strain were recorded in the country, and its possible impact was not unknown. The vaccine rollout has been sluggish, and vaccine hesitancy among the populace was by and large obvious. Hence, there were several indicators that the second wave was not too far for India. As festivities and political rallies starting gaining momentum, the numbers of those who were getting infected insidiously started climbing till the dam doors burst open in April 2021.

Until January 2021, the total number of cases was 10 million with 1.5 lakh deaths. India has had one of the lowest deaths per million population in the world. This probably brought in the sense of complacency of having gained control of the pandemic.

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