As I listen to the news of Prince Charles of Wales, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and others getting affected by coronavirus, I am worried about my small Sikkim. More than 190 countries are fighting against this deadly virus that started in Wuhan, China, at the beginning of January. We at Sikkim are blessed that we haven’t had any positive cases till now. On March 16, the state government came forward with a prominent decision to combat this pandemic disease.
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| At Shantinagar, Singtam |
A notification was issued of closing down educational institutions along with those places of mass gathering, including gyms, cinema halls, public gatherings, government meetings, melas, casinos, pubs, religious functions, and others, until April 15, 2020. A major step was taken when Sikkim banned the entry of domestic tourists. After that, a series of notifications came to public notice in passing days, mentioning every precautionary measure and announcement. The screening of visitors and travelers from other states was started. Ban on entry of labourers into the State was also issued.
Prem Singh Golay, the Chief Minister of Sikkim, came forward and requested the people of Sikkim to avoid traveling beyond the state of Sikkim unless it was an emergency. Of the five check posts, three were closed (Rambam, Reshi, and Uttarey), and only Rangpo and Melli were opened, where medical checking facilities were made available.
The time came when Prime Minister Modi addressed the nation (March 19) and asked every Indian to join hands to fight against coronavirus with a junta curfew on Sunday, March 22. A self-imposed curfew for every citizen of India from 7 am to 9 pm to break the coronavirus chain from spreading further. In the evening, people were advised to clap their hands or ring a bell to honor those people who were doing their regular duties despite the disturbing news of the disease. Not in the history of India had a Prime Minister addressed the nation twice a week. Prime Minister Modi (March 24) came in front of national television and announced that India would be a total lock-down for the next 21 days.
When I am writing this article, the total number of positive cases worldwide with coronavirus so far is 597,262, death cases registered is 27,365, wherein Italy - 9,134, Spain - 5,138, and China - 3,295 are the top three most affected countries. Positively, the recovered cases give relief, and it is 133,363. In India, too, the positive cases have risen to 887, with the death toll reaching 20. Villages, towns, cities, and web pages are full of gossip and rumors. Rumors are given life by social media, and I do agree there are fears among people about this virus.
China announced its first death from the virus on January 11, followed by Thailand on January 13, which confirmed that the deceased had a visit history of Wuhan. Soon after, some of the countries also announced coronavirus-positive cases. Within no time, WHO, on January 30, announced this virus as a global emergency. On the same day, India, too, confirmed its first positive case.
Corona Virus is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 termed as SARS-CoV-2. This disease spreads through respiratory droplets through cough, sneezing, and surface-contaminated touching. The symptoms are fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Muscle pain, sputum production, diarrhea, and sore throat. It is said that the virus can live on surfaces. The use to 72 hours. The use of masks is essentially suggested. Also, hand washing and covering while sneezing are healthy signs.
The two World Wars have never taken such a huge toll on human lives. Ultimately, I just pray and wish this phase to pass…very soon.
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