Govt support necessary to make this lockdown effective

The 14-day nationwide lockdown to curb the latest wave of Covid-19 officially started yesterday. With positivity rates stagnating at around 30 percent and the death toll averaging 207 deaths per day for the last fortnight, it is clear that there is no alternative to implementing this lockdown as strictly and efficiently as possible if we are to curb virus transmission. However, alongside a strict lockdown, we must also ensure that those most affected by it are not left to fend for themselves with no support from the authorities.

Already, we have seen reports of hundreds of vehicles stuck at Daulatdia Ferry Ghat and commuters walking across the city from Sadarghat Launch Terminal, as holidaymakers struggle to return to the capital. Since it was a government decision to ease lockdown and allow holidaymakers to leave Dhaka, the authorities must now also ensure that they are able to return to the city in the safest possible way. While it is a positive development to see lockdown rules being followed on the first day, we must also remember that this disruption of economic activity can have severe consequences for the working classes, especially informal workers who are dependent on daily wages. As such, it is absolutely crucial that this lockdown is followed up with quick and efficient distribution of the recently announced government relief packages for the poor, especially the Tk 450 crore fund providing cash assistance to day labourers, transport workers, small traders and shipping workers. Additionally, it is imperative that the 333 hotline for food assistance is operational, and that previous incidents of local government officials punishing people for calling are not repeated.

With district hospitals still struggling to cope with a continuous influx of Covid-19 patients, the health minister recently warned that if virus transmission is not checked, the entire health system may collapse. This statement was made before restrictions were eased for Eid, and it is safe to assume that during this period, virus transmission has gone up. So what have the health authorities done in the meantime to bolster the health system? Earlier this month, The Daily Star reported that the shortage of high flow nasal cannulas in district hospitals is proving to be fatal. While increasing hospital space and capacity can take more time, it would not have been difficult for the health ministry to ensure that more of such lifesaving equipment, at least, reaches district hospitals as soon as possible. Has this been done?

There is no way to overstate exactly how serious the Covid-19 situation is in Bangladesh, and the only way we can weather this storm is to act together. While the people of this country must follow lockdown rules, the government must step up and ensure that its most vulnerable citizens are protected during these difficult times. So far, almost every government decision has been a reaction to a crisis that has already occurred, rather than proactive measures to prevent that crisis from occurring, especially in the health sector. For this lockdown to be effective, this has to change—we need social safety nets to cushion the effects of lockdown, and we need a health system that is able to provide life-saving care to Covid-19 patients.