Ending the Covid-19 pandemic is a collective effort, and if the public does their part, the islandwide lockdown could actually help Sri Lanka manage the prevailing Covid-19 situation more effectively. However, in order to do that, the support and guidance given by the rulers and the authorities in this connection need to be more judicious, effective, and practical.
The prevailing lockdown is one such measure, which can only be a success if the public fulfills their responsibility by adhering to the guidelines, and the authorities too have a responsibility to guide the public to do so.
The announcement made by the Minister of Highways and Chief Government Whip on 24 May regarding yesterday’s (25) break in the lockdown as well as two lockdown-related breaks scheduled for 31 May and 4 June was severely criticised by the public due to some guidelines being utterly impractical and counterproductive.
After the Government’s announcement, social media platforms were flooded with posts expressing disapproval of the ban on using vehicles to travel to stores and other essential service providers during lockdown breaks because of the plain reality that not every store located within a walking distance can provide all the essentials that are needed in order to survive for another week.
It is true that purchasing goods from the nearest store prevents a person from exiting their locale, thereby preventing the possibility of an infected person spreading the virus in other neighbourhoods. However, one thing that has been forgotten in the process of making decisions is that the spread of Covid-19 does not depend on the distance a person travels, but how exposed he/she is to the outside world and people. Therefore, it makes more sense to allow a person to travel to another nearby, less crowded area if the nearest store is crowded, as it would pose a lesser risk.
These are practical aspects that are of immense importance to a country like Sri Lanka which tends to rely heavily upon theoretical solutions. The process of decision-making is what plays the biggest and most influential role in Covid-19 management efforts, and those involved in the Covid-19 management efforts including the health and defence authorities are the leaders of this process.
The decision taken by the authorities earlier this month to close liquor stores at 6 p.m. instead of the usual closing time of 9 p.m. was also criticised by some and was seen as a counterproductive measure. Instead of preventing people from gathering at liquor stores, what this decision did was indirectly forcing people to purchase liquor within a period of nine hours instead of 12 hours. The few days before the prevailing lockdown saw large numbers of people lining up in front of liquor stores, and among them were those who normally purchase liquor after 6 p.m. The ideal decision that should have been taken is either completely closing liquor stores, or extending or not decreasing the open hours.
These are not the only occasions the decisions taken to curb Covid-19 were questioned, especially due to their practicality. In the past few weeks, public health inspectors (PHIs) as well as medical professionals claimed that the decision-making process needs to pay heed to and include ground-level healthcare workers in order to ensure the decisions are useful in dealing with real-life issues and serve the intended purpose. Also, the decisions of 24 May not coming from the usual spokespersons or defence/law enforcement authorities who usually announce the decisions of the National Operation Centre for Prevention of Covid-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) Task Force was also discussed by the public on social media platforms.
The decision-making process and decisions required to resolve the issues being on divergent paths not only wastes the country’s resources which are of the essence, but also does not help the public to take full advantage of the little freedom they have once every few days.
Also, the rulers and the authorities need to understand that the measures taken to prevent the spread of Covid-19 should be, if not attractive, at the very least, practical.Pandemic plan: Practical or preposterous?
26 May 2021
Pandemic plan: Practical or preposterous?
26 May 2021
Ending the Covid-19 pandemic is a collective effort, and if the public does their part, the islandwide lockdown could actually help Sri Lanka manage the prevailing Covid-19 situation more effectively. However, in order to do that, the support and guidance given by the rulers and the authorities in this connection need to be more judicious, effective, and practical.
The prevailing lockdown is one such measure, which can only be a success if the public fulfills their responsibility by adhering to the guidelines, and the authorities too have a responsibility to guide the public to do so.
The announcement made by the Minister of Highways and Chief Government Whip on 24 May regarding yesterday’s (25) break in the lockdown as well as two lockdown-related breaks scheduled for 31 May and 4 June was severely criticised by the public due to some guidelines being utterly impractical and counterproductive.
After the Government’s announcement, social media platforms were flooded with posts expressing disapproval of the ban on using vehicles to travel to stores and other essential service providers during lockdown breaks because of the plain reality that not every store located within a walking distance can provide all the essentials that are needed in order to survive for another week.
It is true that purchasing goods from the nearest store prevents a person from exiting their locale, thereby preventing the possibility of an infected person spreading the virus in other neighbourhoods. However, one thing that has been forgotten in the process of making decisions is that the spread of Covid-19 does not depend on the distance a person travels, but how exposed he/she is to the outside world and people. Therefore, it makes more sense to allow a person to travel to another nearby, less crowded area if the nearest store is crowded, as it would pose a lesser risk.
These are practical aspects that are of immense importance to a country like Sri Lanka which tends to rely heavily upon theoretical solutions. The process of decision-making is what plays the biggest and most influential role in Covid-19 management efforts, and those involved in the Covid-19 management efforts including the health and defence authorities are the leaders of this process.
The decision taken by the authorities earlier this month to close liquor stores at 6 p.m. instead of the usual closing time of 9 p.m. was also criticised by some and was seen as a counterproductive measure. Instead of preventing people from gathering at liquor stores, what this decision did was indirectly forcing people to purchase liquor within a period of nine hours instead of 12 hours. The few days before the prevailing lockdown saw large numbers of people lining up in front of liquor stores, and among them were those who normally purchase liquor after 6 p.m. The ideal decision that should have been taken is either completely closing liquor stores, or extending or not decreasing the open hours.
These are not the only occasions the decisions taken to curb Covid-19 were questioned, especially due to their practicality. In the past few weeks, public health inspectors (PHIs) as well as medical professionals claimed that the decision-making process needs to pay heed to and include ground-level healthcare workers in order to ensure the decisions are useful in dealing with real-life issues and serve the intended purpose. Also, the decisions of 24 May not coming from the usual spokespersons or defence/law enforcement authorities who usually announce the decisions of the National Operation Centre for Prevention of Covid-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) Task Force was also discussed by the public on social media platforms.
The decision-making process and decisions required to resolve the issues being on divergent paths not only wastes the country’s resources which are of the essence, but also does not help the public to take full advantage of the little freedom they have once every few days.
Also, the rulers and the authorities need to understand that the measures taken to prevent the spread of Covid-19 should be, if not attractive, at the very least, practical.Kapruka
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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!