OPEN HOUSE: What further restrictions should be imposed without impacting people's livelihood?

EACH and every person knows the havoc Covid wreaked in India during the second wave. Now is the time for people to shoulder the responsibility of checking its spread. The Administration should step up awareness drives and not impose any further restrictions. Wearing masks and vaccination can be the only way forward.

Sapna Sharda, Chandigarh

UT admn was late in imposing restrictions

The Chandigarh Administration was extremely late in imposing Covid-19 restrictions. But these restrictions aren’t helping in controlling the positivity rate. The citizens are not at all paying heed to following these guidelines and now, to control the situation, lockdown for at least 30 days is the only solution. We all know that lockdown affects a lot of things but, at least, our lives would be safe. Only collective efforts of both citizens and the Administration will help us to overcome this situation. We should never forget the mantra — ‘Precaution is better than cure’.

Tanya Sharma,Chandigarh

Don’t be careless, follow guidelines

The UT Administration has imposed the best guidelines for the betterment of citizens. We all are thinking that the Administration is to blame for the increase in Covid cases, but it is not the culprit. We citizens are the actual culprits. This situation has arisen because of our careless attitude. So, from now on, we all should start following the coronavirus guidelines and make our lives safe.

Tanvi Sharma, Chandigarh

Provide free ration to the poor, needy

The Administration has to take suitable steps to check the spread of the Omicron variant. Even with restrictions, economic activities suffer. What will shopkeepers do when there is no customers? The UT Administration must earmark funds to help poor people who have no work and money to sustain life. People pay taxes and the government must rise to the occasion to save poor population by giving them free ration.

Capt Amar Jeet, Kharar

Institutions should Follow Covid norms

All government and non-government institutions must work with 50% capacity while strictly following Covid-19 norms. Teaching and learning process must be online. Supervisors should ensure that daily wage earners are vaccinated and they strictly follow all safety norms on duty, so that their livelihood is not affected. It’s high time for every individual that he or she acted sensibly and seriously.

Dr Shakha Sharda, Chandigarh

Admn can impose weekend curfew

In addition to the curbs already imposed by the Administration, it has to be ensured that these are implemented in letter and in spirit. The Administration should go in for weekend curfew and ban dine-in services at restaurants and eateries, besides strictly regulating gatherings for various events. It can seek the help of social help groups for enforcing the guidelines. Lastly, the number of Covid care centres should be increased.

Dr Dinesh Kumar Verma, Panchkula

Dire need for taking stringent steps

It is true that the situation is grim as the daily cases of Omicron are surging worldwide. In such a situation, there is a dire need for strict measures to contain the spread of the virus. At the same time, the Administration must ensure that the livelihoods of the masses is not affected, especially the poor and the middle class. We all need to understand that only collective efforts by the public as well as the Administration can help in curbing the Omicron spread.

Bir Devinder Singh Bed, Chandigarh

Simply issuing notices won’t be of much help

The restrictions imposed by the Administration are sufficient to control the spread of coronavirus, but their implementation is poor. A few people wear masks properly in markets, public places and government institutions. The Administration should form a task force to ensure that everybody wears a mask properly and maintains social distancing in public places. Simply issuing circulars/public notices will not help.

KC Rana, Chandigarh

Public is also to blame for the situation

To contain the spread of Covid, one cannot promise people’s daily life will not be affected. People are themselves to blame for the threefold rise in cases. Even after imposing so many restrictions, people are not cautious. They have no fear of the virus. There should be lockdown from 6 pm to 6 am. Also, stepping up police patroling in some areas will help contain the spread.

Sushree Priyadarshni, Chandigarh

Don’t step out, unless it is unavoidable

The Administration can put restrictions on the movement of people in clusters after ensuring uninterrupted supplies of daily need items on doorstep. Passes with photos of beneficiaries can be issued to all service providers such as maids, servants, drivers, washer men, barbers, guards, street vendors, delivery boys by RWAs or the police. The work-from-home culture should be encouraged. A two or three-hour relaxation could be given to people to move out provided they wear masks.

SC Luthra, Chandigarh

Realise responsibility

People still show carelessness. It is high time they realised their responsibility. The Administration must take action against the violators of Covid norms. With restrictions, some impact on the livelihood of the poor will be there, but the Administration can ensure that the labour class suffers minimum loss.

MR Bhateja, Nayagaon

Bizmen should take precautions

Masses had suffered massive losses during the lockdown. Imposing a ban on shops, industrial units, pubs, bars, food joints is not a good idea. Rather, the Administration should fix timings for these establishments. Businessmen should themselves feel the gravity of the situation and take precautions to check the spread of Covid.

Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali

Use drones to keep an eye on violators

The Administration should ensure that all people must follow the Covid protocol. Violators should be dealt with strictly. Teams can keep a check on violators with the help of drones. Work from home is a good alternative in these times. Night curfew should be imposed. If the government imposes weekend lockdown, it should take special care of daily wage earners. They should be provided monetary help. Everyone should follow the principle of “Prevention is better than cure “.

Adish Sood, Amloh

Packages for daily wage earners

The administration needs to ensure a strict enforcement of Covid-appropriate behaviour to save precious lives and livelihood. Work from home should be the norm. During lockdown, the Administration should announce financial relief packages for daily wage earners, rickshaw-pullers and other workers.

Anita K Tandon, Kharar

Time to press the emergency button

While Covid cases are increasing fast, most people still hardly wear masks or use sanitiser. Party halls, malls and banquets are working like normal days. The time has come to press the emergency button to curb the Covid spread in the city. All public gatherings should be curtailed and a special campaign started by the Administration to reward those following the Covid protocol.

Avinash Goyal, Chandigarh

Dispensation needs to be proactive

There is no denying while the Central and state governments are on their toes to fight the unprecedented upsurge in Covid-19 cases in Chandigarh and elsewhere in the country, more needs to be done to ensure that there is no loss of life owing to the Omicron variant. The dispensation needs to come out of its deep slumber and make sure that the Covid protocol is not compromised. It needs to tighten the noose on those jeopardising the lives of others. Hefty fines need to be imposed violators. The dispensation needs to focus more on enforcing the Covid-appropriate behavior instead of slapping restrictions.

Ramesh K Dhiman, Chandigarh

Behave responsibly, stay indoors

Steps such as social distancing and wearing masks are the key to curbing the spread of this deadly disease. Unfortunately, most people are still not taking precaution and keep roaming around ignoring restrictions imposed by the Administration. At this critical juncture, the public has to behave responsibly and remain indoors. The authorities should also take the responsibility of providing the public with essential commodities.

Sanjay Chopra, Mohali

Curtail timings of malls, restaurants

The Administration should order for the closure of malls and restaurants or curtail their timings. Masks, especially for the staff, should be a must. More Covid wards and hospitals should be established to fight the third wave. Unnecessary movement of vehicles in the city could be curtailed. Home delivery service of necessary as well non-necessary items should be started free of cost or on nominal charges.

Aarti Verma, Panchkula

Get tough with violators

The existing restrictions are sufficient but enforcement is poor. There is a need to get tough with violators. It is shocking that people know that the restrictions can save their lives but still not follow the guidelines. Simply imposing restrictions will be of no use if there is no strict enforcement. As we are civilised citizens, we should behave responsibly, why wait for govt orders. Chandigarh being the capital of two states, there is a need for an effective coordination among the governments of Punjab, Haryana and UT to control the situation.

Vidya Sagar Garg, Panchkula

Need to step up monitoring

If the situation gets worse, then we may see mini-lockdowns. Despite the grim situation, people continue to throng temples, amusement parks, markets, etc, without adhering to the Covid protocol. There are more innovative ideas such as odd-even movement of vehicles, staggered opening of markets and online e-governance services to prevent people from assembling in large numbers in one place. The police need to step up monitoring so that there is a fear in the mind of violators. Vaccination has to be accelerated. No one desires a lockdown, rather we have to work collectively to fight the pandemic.

Dr Anil Kumar Yadav, Chandigarh

Close markets on alternate days

The moment the Administration starts pasting notices at the houses of infected persons, people will seriously comply with the Covid protocol. It’s up to the Administration to go for the weekend lockdown, close the inner markets on alternate days and ban the Apni Mandis.

Savita Kuthiala, Chandigarh

Warn residents of legal action

To check a steady rise in Covid cases, the UT Administration should warn residents of legal action for not taking the first or second dose of the vaccine by January-end. Persons who are posing a danger to society by not adhering to the Covid guidelines must be penalised.

AK Jindal, Patiala

QUESTION

Back-to-back incidents of crime against women, including two murders and a passenger being raped by an auto-driver, have raised questions over the safety of women in the city. What steps should the Administration and the UT police take to make city safer for women?

Suggestions in not more than 70 words can be sent to openhouse@tribunemail.com