As the famous saying goes, “we see what we want to see, and we hear what we want to hear”, the same goes for the current state of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Government might point out facts to substantiate their stance that Sri Lanka has succeeded in managing the pandemic, while the Opposition might present reasons to say that Sri Lanka has failed. It really depends on who you ask.
However, the most prevalent opinion with regard to the pandemic is that Sri Lanka has failed as a country to manage the pandemic, and that the Government, the health authorities, and the public in general have failed the country. Most of the time, we arrive at this conclusion based on how the pandemic situation in the country has evolved over the last one-and-a-half years, and also how other countries have managed the pandemic.
When it comes to the handful of countries Sri Lankans look up to, owing to the belief that those countries have done a better job at containing the pandemic, New Zealand takes a special place. While the decreased number of Covid-19 and related deaths was the main reason why most Sri Lankans thought New Zealand is a perfect example, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s inspiring speeches about managing the pandemic, which were widely circulated on social media, and the New Zealand and international media’s glowing assessments of New Zealand’s pandemic performance and Arden’s pandemic leadership also made Sri Lankans compare Sri Lanka with New Zealand.
Also, when New Zealand declared a nationwide lockdown after the first Covid-19 case in six months was reported last week, whereas the Sri Lankan Government was not doing so despite receiving countless requests to go for a lockdown, including from within its camp, Sri Lankans questioned: “Why can’t our leaders be like those of New Zealand?”
However, all we looked at was numbers and words regarding the number of Covid-19 cases and deaths, not the overall management of the pandemic, which pertains to a multitude of other aspects, vaccination being a crucial one. The truth is, in terms of vaccination, New Zealand is not in a very promising state, as just over 21% of the country’s five million people have been fully vaccinated with both doses, whereas Sri Lanka, which has a population of around 22 million, has vaccinated over 50% of the population with the first dose and over 25% with both the doses. New Zealand also has the lowest vaccination rate among the 38 members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Being such a wealthy nation with such a small population, this failure is not really acceptable, and the rise in Covid-19 cases currently is ringing alarm bells within the country as most of the population is not vaccinated.
The criteria we employ to gauge the success of the country’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic are sometimes incomplete. We look at the number of new Covid-19 cases and related deaths, but we hardly pay attention to the number of Covid-19-infected persons who recover. We look at the number of vaccine doses the health authorities administer; but we are less concerned about whether the authorities have secured enough vaccine doses for the rest of the vaccination drive. We question the health authorities’ enthusiasm and plans regarding the success of Covid-19 management efforts, but we don’t question whether we do our part to reduce the spread of the virus by getting the vaccine and refraining from going out unless it is necessary.
In fact, in the discussion on controlling the pandemic, we often overlook our responsibilities and ask the health authorities why they have failed to reduce the number of infections. However, if the people do their part, the prevailing situation could be controlled to a great extent. At the end of the day, there is a limit to what any government or authority can do, and they are not perfect. Taking our lives and the lives of those around us seriously, through simple commonsensical acts of civic-mindedness, can make a bigger difference than any authority.
The bottom line is, there are no victors in this pandemic until it has been eradicated from the world, as flare ups and outbreaks could occur anytime, especially with the virus mutating into more virulent versions of itself. Therefore, all any country can do is to remain modest about its performance in suppressing the virus, learn from their mistakes and the mistakes of other nations, and exercise constant vigilance and ensure the complete absence of complacency. Only then would the world as a whole, ultimately, be able to win this long and grueling war.The Kiwi misstep
25 Aug 2021
The Kiwi misstep
25 Aug 2021
As the famous saying goes, “we see what we want to see, and we hear what we want to hear”, the same goes for the current state of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Government might point out facts to substantiate their stance that Sri Lanka has succeeded in managing the pandemic, while the Opposition might present reasons to say that Sri Lanka has failed. It really depends on who you ask.
However, the most prevalent opinion with regard to the pandemic is that Sri Lanka has failed as a country to manage the pandemic, and that the Government, the health authorities, and the public in general have failed the country. Most of the time, we arrive at this conclusion based on how the pandemic situation in the country has evolved over the last one-and-a-half years, and also how other countries have managed the pandemic.
When it comes to the handful of countries Sri Lankans look up to, owing to the belief that those countries have done a better job at containing the pandemic, New Zealand takes a special place. While the decreased number of Covid-19 and related deaths was the main reason why most Sri Lankans thought New Zealand is a perfect example, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s inspiring speeches about managing the pandemic, which were widely circulated on social media, and the New Zealand and international media’s glowing assessments of New Zealand’s pandemic performance and Arden’s pandemic leadership also made Sri Lankans compare Sri Lanka with New Zealand.
Also, when New Zealand declared a nationwide lockdown after the first Covid-19 case in six months was reported last week, whereas the Sri Lankan Government was not doing so despite receiving countless requests to go for a lockdown, including from within its camp, Sri Lankans questioned: “Why can’t our leaders be like those of New Zealand?”
However, all we looked at was numbers and words regarding the number of Covid-19 cases and deaths, not the overall management of the pandemic, which pertains to a multitude of other aspects, vaccination being a crucial one. The truth is, in terms of vaccination, New Zealand is not in a very promising state, as just over 21% of the country’s five million people have been fully vaccinated with both doses, whereas Sri Lanka, which has a population of around 22 million, has vaccinated over 50% of the population with the first dose and over 25% with both the doses. New Zealand also has the lowest vaccination rate among the 38 members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Being such a wealthy nation with such a small population, this failure is not really acceptable, and the rise in Covid-19 cases currently is ringing alarm bells within the country as most of the population is not vaccinated.
The criteria we employ to gauge the success of the country’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic are sometimes incomplete. We look at the number of new Covid-19 cases and related deaths, but we hardly pay attention to the number of Covid-19-infected persons who recover. We look at the number of vaccine doses the health authorities administer; but we are less concerned about whether the authorities have secured enough vaccine doses for the rest of the vaccination drive. We question the health authorities’ enthusiasm and plans regarding the success of Covid-19 management efforts, but we don’t question whether we do our part to reduce the spread of the virus by getting the vaccine and refraining from going out unless it is necessary.
In fact, in the discussion on controlling the pandemic, we often overlook our responsibilities and ask the health authorities why they have failed to reduce the number of infections. However, if the people do their part, the prevailing situation could be controlled to a great extent. At the end of the day, there is a limit to what any government or authority can do, and they are not perfect. Taking our lives and the lives of those around us seriously, through simple commonsensical acts of civic-mindedness, can make a bigger difference than any authority.
The bottom line is, there are no victors in this pandemic until it has been eradicated from the world, as flare ups and outbreaks could occur anytime, especially with the virus mutating into more virulent versions of itself. Therefore, all any country can do is to remain modest about its performance in suppressing the virus, learn from their mistakes and the mistakes of other nations, and exercise constant vigilance and ensure the complete absence of complacency. Only then would the world as a whole, ultimately, be able to win this long and grueling war.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!