Throwing caution to the winds

The lockdown has now eased and there are cars on the road. Business establishments are now operating albeit with restrictions. The roads in the city are now crowded. The old curse, traffic jams have reappeared on the road. Everything seems normal like days of old. And what about social distancing? What is that? It’s a phrase people on the streets of Goa(Panjim) have heard of  but all that doesn’t quite seem to apply here,  though the masks were on, some loosely worn, some dangling by their necks. At a popular local restaurant, people were standing close to each other in violation of the protocol. At the Panjim market as it rained in the evening, people had their masks on but seemed to have forgotten about the importance of maintaining social distancing. Earlier. On 18 June road again, earlier in the day a line of subscribers outside a national mobile service provider had their masks  on but were standing within kissing distance of each other. The line outside the outlet was ten strong. At another very popular outlet that sells sweets, samosas and other delicacies,  the patrons were standing next to each other while they were being served. Of course, the staff in the outlet were maintaining the required social distance from each other and the patrons. The same was witnessed in other outlets where documents were being photocopied.  Attempts to ask the proprietors as to their reason for not insisting social distancing was met with a smile and no response. Earlier in the week, the Herald photographer took photographs of parents with their children waiting outside the RED CROSS dispensary in total violation of protocol standing together. As COVID cases rise and there is a possibility of community transmission, the biggest danger to all of us is believing that we are safe and COVID stops at our borders or restricted only to those coming here by cars and trains, who will be isolated anyway. It’d a belief that could take us to  a point of no return.