It was five o'clock in the Friday afternoon. The bridges across Rampura of Hatirjheel, Madhubagh, Gulshan and Mahanagar Project of the capital were bustling with people. There were tunes of guitar amid cigarette smokes spiralling. Seeing so many people it was hard to understand that coronavirus pandemic has been playing spoilsports in the country.
Not only Hatirjheel, other places of recreation namely Chandrima Udyan, Dhaka University, Rabindra Sorobor, Dhanmondi-32 of the capital are swamped with city dwellers who are worried much about their stress and anxiety than general health.
Following visits to these recreational sites, it has been observed that no one paid any heed to the health safety issues. Everyone was busy in their mental wellbeing viz gossiping and chatting forgetting about the health safety obligations.
Most of the people visiting the recreational sites had no mask on their faces. In some cases, masks are dangling from their chins. No social distancing was maintained. Everyone was either gossiping or dawdling here and there in groups.
Experts feared that coronavirus pandemic will be accelerated due to the careless movement of people. They consider such reckless attitude as one of the reasons for the pandemic to prolong.
What is the reason behind such nonchalant attitude? Why nobody is taking health safety measures seriously? When asked, Ranu Begum, a housewife who came to Hatirjheel from Uttara with her two children, said if she has to wear mask while going out for recreation, the outing goes in vain. Ranu did not put her mask on as she came to chill out.
In front of Ranu Begum, some youths were seen loitering. One of them was Jubayer Ahmed who works in a private company. He said to have followed health safety measures for long in order to stay away from coronavirus. Now, he is not interested to abide by such measures and wearing mask seems a bit irritating to him. Jubayer has not noticed the trend to maintain health safety amongst many people.
Russel seating beside Jubayer said to have his mask in the pocket and will put it on while going to home.
When asked about the reason for being so reluctant to comply with health safety, a girl named Cynthia said to have come out as she got bored by staying at home for a long time. Cynthia firmly believes that coronavirus will not harm her in any manner.
Every restaurant of Hatirjheel was crowded with strollers. Even the hoteliers were not seen maintaining any health safety. The visitors were seen gossiping and eating in groups in these restaurants and food joints. Festivals like cutting birthday cake were also celebrated.
In the evening Rabindra Sorobor of Dhanmondi went under the blanket of fragrance originated from foods like chotpoti, fuchka, luchi and kebabs. There is no place to sit in the tables. When asked, a food vendor named Rubel said that although they want to serve foods in line with health safety measures but the customers seem reluctant. However, he cannot answer how they are trying to conform to health safety issues.
Another shopkeeper named Jewel said that he always urges his customers to wash their hands and sit at distances. But as the customers come with their friends and family they want to huddle together. For this reason, it becomes difficult to conform to health safety issues. Even when the customers are requested, they got irritated and go to other shops.
This shopkeeper no longer asks for health safety issues as he faced such unwanted incidents over the past few days. Although the sellers confirmed conformation to health safety measures including handwash but such facilities were not noticed.
When asked about the reason for ignoring health safety measures, Rigan, a Mirpur resident who come to Rabindra Sorobor, said I am here as there is no coronavirus here. I have difficulty in breathing if I wear facemask. There is a facemask in my pocket which I seldom wear.
Rigan’s friend Apu said that if there is mask on my face nobody understands my words. That is why, I am not wearing it.
Naima, a student of a private university, said that Covid-19 is not much prevalent now. Earlier, people were much panicked. But now the situation has changed. For this reason, health safety is not maintained and masks slip to chin to dangle.
When asked about the risks attached to the reckless movement of citizen public health expert and President of Human Aid Bangladesh Dr. Sheikh Moinul Khokon said that urban people are returning to their normal lifestyle involving business, entertainment, gossiping and usual busyness and meeting in crowds at the restaurants and shopping malls. If we are not aware by now then incidents of getting infected for the second time which is very rare will be a normal incident in our country.
Number of people getting infected again has not reached horrifying level in the world. It will not be surprising if the number reaches thousand or hundred thousand in our country.
According to this health expert, there are some diseases spread through droplets. But coronavirus may spread from number of probable mediums including the surface touched by the infected patients. For this reason, it is being considered as an infectious disease.
Having analysed the result of more than 2200 samples tested in a laboratory on the 22nd and 23rd of this month, it may be seen that the rate of positive result is 11.14 percent and in Dhaka city the rate varies from 1.42 percent to 36.26 percent in specific cases.
After analysing the results of tests carried out on the 19th, 20th and 21st of this month in the same lab, it is seen that rate of positive results is 12.63 percent. On the other hand, the rate is 5.26 percent and 11.38 percent in two districts outside Dhaka respectively.
According to this expert there may be number of explanations for having more positive samples in Dhaka than outside of the capital. This is because those living in Dhaka or in the urban area are more aware. As it is relatively easier for those living in the urban areas to undergo coronavirus test, positive result is more in consequence of more tests.
When asked about the steps taken by the administration to check reckless behaviour of the public, Executive Magistrate of Dhaka North City Corporation Tajwar Akram Sakafi Ibne Sazzad said that they have made preparations to combat the second wave of coronavirus pandemic. They are working to raise awareness and make people to wear masks.
According to him it is not at all possible to control coronavirus without wearing mask and conforming to social distancing.
He also said that lockdown is imposed in European countries if more than 60 percent people do not wear facemask.
Mr. Sazzad said that people abide by lockdown even though they are reluctant to follow the health safety hacks. Sometimes lockdown is imposed in particular zones which is hard to enforce in Bangladesh.
He said that the Dhaka North City Corporation has taken various measures to reduce the intensity of the pandemic which includes not to enter the office without wearing mask. Besides, without mask no service is rendered. Besides, announcement is being made through mikes in different regions for raising awareness and the city corporation is distributing masks and imposing fines through its mobile court.
Experts opine that awareness will bring more positive outputs rather than a vaccine.
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