Virus exists

The deadly coronavirus that jolted the whole world with its lethal attack is not completely over despite the world having achieved huge success against the COVID-19 pandemic (“Several Beijing districts shut schools as China COVID cases rise,” Nov.21, Gulf Today website).

It’s a right decision by the Chinese government in which students in schools across several Beijing districts buckled down for online classes on Monday after officials called for residents in some of its hardest-hit areas to stay home, as COVID cases in China’s capital and nationally ticked higher.

According to the news report, China is fighting numerous COVID-19 flare ups, from Zhengzhou in central Henan province to Chongqing in the southwest and for Sunday reported 26,824 new local cases, nearing the country’s pandemic peak in April. It also recorded two deaths in Beijing, up from one on Saturday, which was China’s first since late May.

Millions of people have died and billions of people are still facing serious threats to their lives dealing with COVID-19 cases.

There is no doubt that the world has achieved huge success against the coronavirus producing COVID-19 vaccine and made sure that people will be vaccinated to boost their immune power but the fight against the COVID-19 is still not over.

As the world is now enjoying the freedom from COVID-19, the coronavirus restrictions are reduced more than 90 per cent. There is no need for a PCR test for travelling across the world. No work from home restriction is mandatory, social gatherings are allowed and no masks are mandatory in the public parks, buses and shopping malls.

With all above mentioned COVID-19 precautionary measures relaxed, it’s now a huge responsibility on the shoulders of people to show the responsibility because the fight against the deadly virus is still going on till the official announcement from the World Health Organisation that the COVID-19 is completely eradicated from the world.

Asim Qasori,
By email