OUR nation is staring at the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic. The recent spike in the number of infections and deaths calls for meticulous preparations against the fresh surge of the dreadful contagion, which has already claimed the lives of about 10,000 Nepalis. Health experts have warned that if the authorities do not focus or implement control mechanisms such as imposing strict restrictions against the large gatherings of the people in time, the pandemic's third wave will hit the country hard, which will be fatal when it comes to the lives of the people, especially the younger ones. The third wave of the contagion will come with certain strains of the coronavirus that have claimed many lives across the world. With her poor health infrastructures, Nepal may face a higher risk when the third wave emerges in the country.

It is imperative for the government to foil any arrival of the third wave. In case the deadlier wave hits the nation, authorities must aim to keep the fatalities at the lowest possible, for which they must mobilise resources to keep health workers, health centres, anti-COVID vaccination drives and testing, contact tracing and treating campaigns in place to stop any surge in the infection in the country. The concerned authorities seem to be aware of the likely arrival of the third wave. This is why they have advised the government to intensify preparations to impose smart restrictions so that the outbreak of the third wave could be prevented. The CCMC directive committee suggested that smart lockdowns could be enforced based on the actual number of infections in certain areas, districts and regions. The Health Ministry has proposed to impose smart restrictions and the next meeting of the cabinet will take a decision in this regard.

With the talk of smart lockdowns doing rounds, one should be aware that these lockdowns could be categorised into red, amber, yellow and green zones based on indicators such as infection and mortality rates and availability of hospital infrastructure. The authority has authorised the concerned district arms of the COVID-19 Crisis Management Centre (CCMC) to enforce lockdowns and restrictions as per their necessity based on the categorisation. The concept of smart lockdowns has been envisaged to stop the third wave taking its toll on Nepali lives. The idea has also been mulled to avoid blanket lockdowns throughout the country or regions out of fear of contagion.

As many people across the country have learnt to live with the virus and the government has ramped up its vaccination drive, it is the right time to introduce smart lockdowns, which will save the country from a total shutdown. Smart lockdowns and restrictions in specific areas would help keep people in areas where viruses have not made much impact active so that they can remain engaged in economic and day-to-day activities. Many people have shown their dislike for lockdowns that force them inside their homes, curtailing their movement and activities would benefit a lot when smart lockdowns are imposed only in areas where infections are high. Many countries that have been worst hit by the coronavirus have adopted smart lockdowns. The government and the CCMC have weighed the benefits of such a method and are now vying to enforce it, for which they deserve our applause.