Do we need to follow SOPs?

The pandemic has slowly declined all across the country and similarly Jammu and Kashmir is also witnessing fewer cases on a regular basis. However, in the past couple of days, the toll of cases is crossing the mark of 20 infections frequently while the reports suggest that the tally of active positive cases has also crossed 100 mark in the Union Territory. This comes at a time when the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya has claimed that Covid is not over yet and there are reports of rising cases of Covid in some states. Dr. Mandaviya has also stressed on importance at this time to be alert and not forget Covid Appropriate Behaviour (CAB) such as wearing masks and maintaining physical distance to prevent the spread of the infection. However, the government has almost put an end to the mandatory Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as hardly any person is seen wearing the masks and following the other mandatory guidelines. One fails to understand what actually people are supposed to do when such statements are being issued by the government itself. The million dollar question remains why the government is silent when the concerned Minister has sounded an alarm over the existence of Covid. There is a need to take immediate and necessary measures to put an end to the concerns and also ensure that the people are not forced to witness the past like situations due to the Covid. The government should also make people aware whether the need to wear face masks and following other guidelines are mandatory at this juncture.