Beyond the blame game: On the Tablighi Jamaat episode (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2: National 
Prelims level: Tablighi Jamaat
Mains level:  Social issue 

Context:

• Nizamuddin in Delhi has turned into a large cluster of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) cases after a big religious congregation was held in mid-March by the Tablighi Jamaat at the Alami Markaz Banglewali Masjid. 
• More than 400 people showing symptoms have been hospitalised in Delhi alone and nearly 240 have tested positive; at least 10 have died. 
• The spectre of large-scale community spread by a few hundred attendees from different States cannot be ruled out. 

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Health emergency:

• That the three-day event began on a day when the Health Ministry said that it did not consider the novel coronavirus as a health emergency despite 81 cases being reported cannot be an excuse. 
• After all, WHO had called COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11. The organisers should have been very much aware that a similar congregation organised by them in Malaysia in end-February led to a spike in cases there and the attendees had carried the virus to other countries. 
• But the Delhi government is equally culpable as nothing was done to stop such a meeting except issuing an order on March 13 prohibiting the assembly of more than 200 people. 
• What prevented the State government from following the Centre’s March 6 advice to States to avoid or postpone mass gatherings till the pandemic was contained? 

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Spread of virus:

• But India failed despite being aware how global congregations — some linked to religion — had led to an alarming spread of the virus, examples being the large outbreaks in South Korea, Singapore, southern Italy and Spain.
• States that already have cases with a link to the Nizamuddin event should now use the lockdown period to actively engage in finding everyone who has attended the event, trace their contacts, quarantine, test and treat them without losing time. 
• Both South Korea and Singapore have demonstrated how meticulous tracing of contacts of a church event, isolation and aggressive testing helped prevent the highly infectious virus from spreading widely in the community. 

Conclusion:

• Ideally, the remaining period of the shutdown should be used to expand the testing to at least limited community level to find every suspected case linked to the attendee. 
• The last thing that India can afford in the war against the virus is the disease acquiring a religious or class colour. 
• Community leaders have been irresponsible, but those in the government have been lax too.
• India must use the lockdown for full contact tracing, especially after the Nizamuddin scare

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Online Coaching for UPSC PRE Exam

General Studies Pre. Cum Mains Study Materials

Prelims Questions:

Q.1) With reference to the ‘Bag valve masks’, consider the following statements:
1. They are small devices used to deliver breathing support in emergency situations. 
2. ‘Bag valve masks’ are currently hand-powered and therefore not suitable for continuous use as a ventilator.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A.   1 only
B.   2 only
C.   Both 1 and 2
D.   None 

Answer............................

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Mains Questions:
Q.1) India must use the lockdown for full contact tracing, especially after the Nizamuddin scare. Comment.