BMD

While seeing more people, especially youngsters, strolling around Basantapur and the vicinity areas with the easing of the lockdown, we used to pass on sarcastic comment that the increasing mobility was just a preparation for the potential third wave of COVID-19. Since Basantapur is among very few open public places in the capital city, it daily hosts a large number of people ranging from political and social campaigners to common people, Tik Tok video makers and beggars. It has also turned out to be a major dating place with many young couples gathering there.
The carefree Tik Tok video makers appear to be very risky as they are hardly found following even basic health safety protocols. Onlookers often remain spellbound by the performances of such crazy groups.
As the government has lifted most of restrictions that were in place to contain the pandemic, the situation has now become almost normal given the mobility of people. As anticipated, many parts of the country, including the Kathmandu Valley, have lately started witnessing a gradual rise in the number of new COVID-19 infections. The number of active cases in the valley has now exceeded 8,000 again. This is leading to more hospitalisations. If the latest resurge of infections is any indication, the country may face the third wave of the pandemic sooner or later.
In view of this trend, the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) some days ago also warned of a potential outbreak of the third wave of COVID-19. It called on the general public to abide by safety protocols to prevent the devastating wave. As of now, about one dozen districts across the country have reported more than 500 active cases of this lethal virus disease each. Similarly, the number of active cases has surged past 200 in over two dozen districts each.
The MoHP has also called on hospitals and other healthcare institutions to get prepared for tackling yet another wave of the contagion. Many health specialists and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have also warned that the third wave of COVID-19 could be deadlier than the previous ones. More children might get infected with the virus as more contagious new variants have been emerging.
But, what is more troublesome is that the country has begun witnessing more political rallies and gatherings with the fall of the CPN-UML government led by KP Sharma Oli. The party's youth wing that has been in protest against the Supreme Court verdict and UML senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal since the removal the Oli-government last week staged a demonstration in Kathmandu in the guise of a monkey. The participants were also bothered least about health safety norms.
The UML has continued to organise showdown. On Saturday, it took out a huge rally in the capital before forming the Valley Command Force of its newly revived youth wing, Youth Force. The 1,101-member jumbo team has been assigned to demonstrate power.
Carelessness on the part of general public to adopt health safety norms and such political activities might contribute to exacerbating the COVID-19 crisis. It is worth recalling here that the Khumbh Mela and election rallies and mass meetings in India were deemed responsible for the eruption of the second wave of the virus disease both in the southern neighbour and Nepal some months ago.