Virus and wolf
A steep rise in the number of the Covid-19 infections, here, is proof that the situation is taking a turn for the worse. It looks as if Sri Lanka had considered itself the winner, prematurely, after the first round of the fight against the elusive virus; the government decided to ease lockdowns and curfews in all districts, only to realise its mistake and exclude the red zones immediately afterwards.
What we are witnessing, at present, may be the second wave of infections. It is unfortunate that so many security forces personnel have contracted Covid-19. We cannot batten down the hatches and wait for the crisis to pass; everything possible has to be done to curb the spread of the virus. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that the worst is yet to come. Some of the ongoing preventive measures, however, cannot go on indefinitely, given the economic and social costs they entail.
The sooner the lockdowns and curfews are eased, the better it is for the economy and the public. Even countries such as the US and some EU member states are mulling over reopening their economies. Sri Lanka will have to do likewise, but if the viral infections get out of hand, lockdowns and curfews will have to be extended indefinitely. An early economic recovery will be well-nigh impossible, in such an eventuality, and many people won’t be able to keep the wolf from the door.
Daily wage earners have been crying out for help, unable to eke out a living; the government has given them some relief, but such welfare measures won’t be sustainable in the long run. Worryingly, in some urban areas, it is mostly the low income groups that act irresponsibly, as evident from the increasing number of coronavirus infections among the people, in the poor quarters of the Colombo City. They move about, without heeding health guidelines, according to the police. Somebody must tell them, in no uncertain terms, that the current relief programmes will come to an end soon, and they will have to starve unless the country is reopened.
Middle class people are also among those who do not follow the health guidelines and violate curfew, as can be seen from the arrests being made. They make a contribution to the spread of the virus and are a nuisance to those who are struggling to control infections. They ought to realise that prevention is the only way the virus can be tackled, and unless the national health emergency is overcome and lockdowns and curfews are eased fast, the economy will be further weakened; many businesses are bound to go belly up, causing more job losses.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has said the Covid-19 pandemic will have a catastrophic effect on working hours and earnings, globally. It has warned that the crisis is expected to wipe out 6.7 per cent of working hours, around the world, in the second quarter of 2020 –– equivalent to 195 million full-time workers. Large reductions are foreseen in the Arab States, (8.1 per cent, equivalent to 5 million full-time workers), Europe, (7.8 per cent, or 12 million full-time workers) and Asia and the Pacific (7.2 per cent, 125 million full-time workers).
Further losses to the state coffers, due to the Covid-19, will inevitably lead to the retrenchment of the welfare state to a considerable extent. If what is feared comes to pass, vital sectors such as health, education and social welfare will be adversely affected. Those who are acting irresponsibly, facilitating the spread of the virus, albeit unwittingly, don’t seem to have realised the gravity of the situation. It s time some sense was knocked into them.
A steep rise in the number of the Covid-19 infections, here, is proof that the situation is taking a turn for the worse. It looks as if Sri Lanka had considered itself the winner, prematurely, after the first round of the fight against the elusive virus; the government decided to ease lockdowns and curfews in all districts, only to realise its mistake and exclude the red zones immediately afterwards.
What we are witnessing, at present, may be the second wave of infections. It is unfortunate that so many security forces personnel have contracted Covid-19. We cannot batten down the hatches and wait for the crisis to pass; everything possible has to be done to curb the spread of the virus. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that the worst is yet to come. Some of the ongoing preventive measures, however, cannot go on indefinitely, given the economic and social costs they entail.
The sooner the lockdowns and curfews are eased, the better it is for the economy and the public. Even countries such as the US and some EU member states are mulling over reopening their economies. Sri Lanka will have to do likewise, but if the viral infections get out of hand, lockdowns and curfews will have to be extended indefinitely. An early economic recovery will be well-nigh impossible, in such an eventuality, and many people won’t be able to keep the wolf from the door.
Daily wage earners have been crying out for help, unable to eke out a living; the government has given them some relief, but such welfare measures won’t be sustainable in the long run. Worryingly, in some urban areas, it is mostly the low income groups that act irresponsibly, as evident from the increasing number of coronavirus infections among the people, in the poor quarters of the Colombo City. They move about, without heeding health guidelines, according to the police. Somebody must tell them, in no uncertain terms, that the current relief programmes will come to an end soon, and they will have to starve unless the country is reopened.
Middle class people are also among those who do not follow the health guidelines and violate curfew, as can be seen from the arrests being made. They make a contribution to the spread of the virus and are a nuisance to those who are struggling to control infections. They ought to realise that prevention is the only way the virus can be tackled, and unless the national health emergency is overcome and lockdowns and curfews are eased fast, the economy will be further weakened; many businesses are bound to go belly up, causing more job losses.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has said the Covid-19 pandemic will have a catastrophic effect on working hours and earnings, globally. It has warned that the crisis is expected to wipe out 6.7 per cent of working hours, around the world, in the second quarter of 2020 –– equivalent to 195 million full-time workers. Large reductions are foreseen in the Arab States, (8.1 per cent, equivalent to 5 million full-time workers), Europe, (7.8 per cent, or 12 million full-time workers) and Asia and the Pacific (7.2 per cent, 125 million full-time workers).
Further losses to the state coffers, due to the Covid-19, will inevitably lead to the retrenchment of the welfare state to a considerable extent. If what is feared comes to pass, vital sectors such as health, education and social welfare will be adversely affected. Those who are acting irresponsibly, facilitating the spread of the virus, albeit unwittingly, don’t seem to have realised the gravity of the situation. It s time some sense was knocked into them.
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