{"id":114429,"date":"2021-05-20T22:58:26","date_gmt":"2021-05-21T04:58:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=114429"},"modified":"2021-05-20T15:33:07","modified_gmt":"2021-05-20T22:33:07","slug":"where-are-we-heading-on-corona-19-pandamic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2021\/05\/20\/where-are-we-heading-on-corona-19-pandamic\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018\u2019WHERE ARE WE HEADING ON CORONA 19 PANDAMIC \u2019."},"content":{"rendered":"

Sarath Wijesinghe President\u2019s Counsel former Ambassador to UAE and Israel, President Ambassador\u2019s Forum<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

Indian version that has led to clock down of UK next week<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cvid 19 Pandemic has now become internalized and we must think\ninternational with the involvement with UN, WHO, effected countries and\ninternational organizations. It is a salutary step that UN has taken to\nconvene  a special session  to adopt a binding resolution for a Global\nPandemic   Convention so that all the\nnations are bound to work together – especially the rich countries and\ninternational organizations There is international involvement, concern, and\nnetwork in the interest of themselves as big powers such as USA, Russia,\nBrazil, and powerful India that has become very humble due to excessive\npenetration of highest numbers pandemic victims and deaths with the death toll being\nan unappalled, unprecedented and heart-breaking. Death toll is mounting and increasing\nworldwide with fluctuations showing no mercy or improvements in terms of\npatients and deaths. USA is with a brave face with President is saying to the\ncitizen that wearing mask is not imperative when UN and WHO is insisting more\nand more stringent regulations. Indian situation is the same with Sri Lankan\nsituation aggravating to reach a complete lock down from 21st when the Army Commander\nhas advised the citizens to collect provisions for a rainy day nearby – a step\nthat should have taken before the New Year festive days and strictly follow\ngenuine and correct scientific advice. It is worth listening the views of a\ngenuine reputed scientist Dr Malik Perera who has given very valuable\nscientific views and directions the governance should follow. It is again a\ngood move preventing irresponsible officers and pseudo scientists giving voice\ncuts which is misleading which is captured even by world media. It is also\nnoted PHI officers who were doing an excellent job on the first wave should\nmind their tongs or Ministry must have a control over them. There appear to be  no permanent solution at the sight and the\nprediction of WHO generally the world relies on ,states is that, that world\nshall not expect an early and easy solution of the  expanding the menace with number of variants\nin many countries. Origin supposed to be in \u2018\u2019Wohan\u2019\u2019 in   China which \nhas spread length and breadth of the world, hard hitting small as\nwell  as big powers kneeling down\nmiserably to the venomous \u2018\u2019Covid 19\u2019\u2019 still spreading fast. Let us compare our\ntragedy with immediate neighbour and the regional power miserably failed in\ncontrolling the ferocious pandemic spreading fast, with new variants fearing\nUK, Sri Lanka and many other counties. 50 doctors have died recently totalling\n1000 over and the death toll and the infections are growing faster as before\nunchanged accelerating with variants and spreading worldwide due to the large\nnetwork of Indians spread and movements are still taking place. Death toll is\nmounting and there appear to be no strategy or preventive measures due to the\nenormity of the geographically large area and the population one of the largest\nin the worldwide, with no good health system as in Sri Lank where the health\nsystem and the doctors are nearly as good as UK which is one of the best\nsystems in the world UK that has successfully controlled the menace from\nthousands of deaths to nearly zero is again planning a crackdown with a full\nlock down in a week again, due to the Indian variant attacking the citizens,\nwhich is a lessons to Sri Lanka allegedly possessing number of variants in\ncirculation. Apparently Indian version has become more and more ferocious with\nnew adaptations, warning the 49 countries that has been infested showing the\ndanger and gravity of the spread. If this is the danger and the nature of the\nspread we can imagine the conditions of other various with batter and more\ncomfortable situations. Wave is spreading all over fast by various methods due\nto the unprotected and insecure behaviour of the world citizens on move. Lock\ndown appears to be imminent in UK and Sri Lanka and may spread to many other\ncountries unless UN and the international community intervenes to assist\nmembers financially as finance plays a main part in clamping down. Rich is\nbecoming richer in Sri Lanka India and worldwide showing Amazon, EBEY\nflourishing earning from the sweat of the corona victims followed by top\ncompanies in Sri Lanka and India. Top companies, Banks, Telecommunication\nsector, Lubricant, Tobacco, supermarkets, in Sri Lanka are enjoying profits\nover 400% and even more including listed companies enjoying a hay day at the\ncost of the suffering on the road and hospitals when the cases of suspected pandemic\nare the peak (3628 today) wiht36 deaths -a sad situation. Governance should\ncompel \u2018\u2019Fat Cat\u2019\u2019 companies in Sri Lanka to make substantial contributions to\nthe war on Pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lock downs, Crack downs, and other restrictions in controlling pandemic<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lock down is the most extreme method of controlling the pandemic (we are\ncommencing on 21st<\/sup>) when life of the citizen becomes life\nthreatening and the pandemic is fast spreading with dangerous consequences of\nmultiplicity with highest cost to the country. It is estimated that one days\ncost for a lock down in Sri Lanka is around 60000 million LKR which is so\ncostly to a developing country battered by a 30 year war and many other draw backs\nto the economy which is only rough indication to the gravity of such an step,\nand we are still paying for the previous lock downs causing bleedings to the\neconomy which is difficult for us to bear- but what else to do as the horse has\nbolted the stable and we are closing it too late. Let us go through agony for a\nbetter day as never late that ever. United Kingdom which is victorious in\nfighting pandemic has had lock downs previously .Where the death toll in UK\nnearly 9000 in March has come down to rear zero due to lock downs and 85% have\nbeen vaccinated and strict guidelines have been implemented. Due to the\ninvasion of the Indian variant UK will be closing in a weeks with a full lock\ndown at the highest loss as they can afford to as a rich country with reserves\nand backers worldwide. U K was not serious and not so strict initially and paid\nthe highest price until stringent measures were introduced to clamp down the\nsituation for complete control. Death toll to date have been 163709016 and\nthere is no guarantee that the situation will be under control due to\nuncertainty of the situation and the rate of fast spreading with variations by\nthe virus freely spreading with n resistance \nfrom manmade drugs except avoiding the threat and taking precautionary\nmeasures. Sri Lanka is planning stringent controls minus complete lock down for\nobvious reasons and rich countries have stocks of vacations still unused in\nfull leaving some poor countries not vaccinated at all. Sri Lanka is taking\nstrict and stringent measures to clamp down yet the results will depend on how\nthe population responds and cooperates out of realization and proper\nunderstanding without finding fault of the governance and others they presumed\nto be responsible and powerful in the country, therefore the governance must\nrealise the lockdowns will be a proper solution and the real solution should\ncome from all sections of the society out of commitment and realization. Have\nreached that stage or awaiting until the million infected is reached?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where have we gone wrong and where do we stand in the crisis-are we in\ntrouble<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is not the\ntime for a blame game or to find who are responsible for the tragedy we are\nimmersed in may be not due to our fault alone. It is a world pandemic that we\ncontrolled the first wave so well but lost the second and third wave reminding\nof the village folk of the race between the tortoise and rabbit where the\nfoolish Rabbit slept under a tree undermining the slow tortoise slowly but steadily\nkept on in the race and won in the end. Were we lazy or foolish \u2013 decision is\nyours and it is a lesson for us for our future struggles in clamping down the\npandemic.-  Our learned Opposition leader\nsays we could and should have purchased drugs on time finding fault on  all and every step by the governance without\ngiving advice directions and cooperation, and I wish somebody will forward this\narticle written in good faith to him and it is a good idea for him to read this\ncolumn ( if he aspires to be the next leader ) not read by many politicians\nmainly in the governance , due to negligence and language constraints. What has\nhe been doing instead of being in the blame game? With many others in the group\nincluding famous \u2018\u2019Kumara\u2019\u2019 also an unproductive talking shop unproductive to\nthe rest of the world including himself .All the time on the blame game without\ndoing anything constructive. We have no place, position, or post in the\ngovernment but trying to do a service within our capacity yet we keep on\nserving the nation. Learn from NM Colvin Lesley etc. who were strong left\nleaders against then government, yet served the masses on the road during the\ndifficult periods after the war and malaria and small pox pandemics then. GMOA\nfinds fault on the Health Ministry   doing an excellent job with an excellent\nwebsite of world standard, we are also using for our work. We are now in UK collecting\nall date from Health Promotion bureau to serve the world working together with\nactivist groups based in London.  Sri\nLanka is doing an excellent job when UK who too are in trouble despite lot of\nmoney and facilities they possess. We will learn from what went wrong and learn\nfrom us using our own experiences and the world, when everybody is going\nthrough the learning process and  in\ntrouble citizen has a civic duty to be careful and follow rules to the last\nworld. Mind you the total deaths in India of corona is 263533 and death per day\nis 4329 which is frightening to us as well as the immediate neighbour with easy\naccess for the unknown and unseen ferocious pandemic dragon to invade us comfortably\nwith variants – that has compelled to shut down UK for safety -by various ways\nand means. Only and the best way is to follow health advice and guidelines and\ngo back to basics. Of course we are in trouble heading for a major disaster as predicted\nby our own health ministry   to reach a\nmillion in 100 days which is frightening in deed. Currently the death is around\n34 a day, and detections 1000 a day which is high with 24476 in 10 days and\ntoday it is learnt to be the highest being 3051 detections. And   mind\nyou we have 147720 confirmed and 121145 recovered. Israel has recovered with\nzero deaths by their innovativeness, and Vietnam has reached zero deaths giving\nus hopes with our previous success stories and genuine traditional Ayurveda\npractices and not drugs of rough illegal practitioners. Current Pandemic is\nmore dangerous than any previous disasters and it is time for us to get together\nand harness our resources, strength and knowledge to fight the last battle or\nperish together. It is so simple the governance must have a leader for the\nfight \u2013 not the Army commander a lonely parrot carrying orders and doing an\nexcellent job   in implementation of\nsomeone orders himself with no vision or a strategy. I is time the ruler taker\nover rains as the masses have given him a clear path without puling the mandate\nleaving the rest apart. It is the duty of the opposition and others out of power\nto let him do the job and   advice and\nguide in the proper way and advice without pulling his leg. There should be a\nvision for the fight with proper advice by scientists who too will speak with\none world. There are pseudo masters when the real masters are silent and not\ngiven an opportunity by the governance. Health Minister should be a medical\nprofessional with authority and firm vision being the most important in the\nprocess. We must go back to basics and follow health instructions and\nadvice   to the last word, thoroughly\nstudying how and why UK and Sri Lanka went wrong. UK was on the correct path if\nnot for the invasion of the India variant and Sri Lanka went wrong due to the\nown making by the people who misbehaved and the governance not  taking proper steps on time due to economic\ndowntown. What is needed is the realization of the danger and determination to\nwork together leaving all before the peak of the pandemic disaster. No experts\nof expert knowledge is necessary. What is needed is the commitment and\ndetermination to act together with one and only goal without aiming at to form\nthe next government nobody could manage without joint determined exercise by\nall citizens. Government expenditure is high running higher with 2020 9610\nmillion,2021 4190, expenditure 5000\/565939\/14000\/ 29and 17 for\nqurwntine,education3800\/districts 102\/2658\/ which are mentioned a few compared\nto so many showing the gravity and magnitude \nwhich is difficult for the country to bear and ever increasing, not\nreached the peak yet when the government predicts the peak in September with a  million in 100 day when the detentions are\n1000 a day dying average 34 a day, and please believe we can win the unseen,\nvirus easily if we are determined and join hands as one with the leadership of\na vision and a visionary who will strictly follow the directions of genuine\nexperts who will be confused when before a microphone, and media. There are\nresponsibilities on the media, professionals, and politicians, religious\nleaders to speak with one word and follow the vision of the visionary backed by\nproper professionals with strict rules and guidelines. Sri Lanka being very\nsmaller than India it is possible to win the war if handles well\nscientifically, with innovations as Israelis have done. But are serious and\ndetermined and united is the issue and if we do nit we will be digging   our own graves.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Way forward to\nbe out of danger<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truth and reality\nis that we are in trouble on our own making but may be able to win over if we\nplay cards really well and to the point. We won the first wave successfully as\nexperienced soldiers in the battle against Covid 19. It is not sure whether we\nhave learnt lessons for our losses in human lives and income which is rare now\nwhich is almost exhausted. We are in the worst list aggravating daily- but we\nmust win the war and it will be definitely won with the efforts of all of us,\nespecially in governance and media expected to act a main pivot role in the\nexercise. But the fact remains that this is not a threat confined to Sri Lanka\nalone   and it is a pandemic that has\nengulfed the world over and an international effort is necessary when the\nentire world is getting ready for the battle. We are fighting an unknown and\nunseen virus thriving length and breadth due to our own carelessness and lack\nof precautionary measures, in combatting the enemy with simple basic methods\nwhich are easy to apply and practice. We need a vision and a visionary to lead\nthe battle with a group of experts who were learned experienced and speak with\none word. What is the vision and who is the visionary is yet to be found. Now\nthat the people have chosen a leader with an overwhelming majority either he\nmust create a vision or get a group of real visionary to lead the battle to\navoid mass deaths and destruction. Sarath7@hotmail.co.uk<\/a>                         <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sarath Wijesinghe President\u2019s Counsel former Ambassador to UAE and Israel, President Ambassador\u2019s Forum Indian version that has led to clock down of UK next week Cvid 19 Pandemic has now become internalized and we must think international with the involvement with UN, WHO, effected countries and international organizations. It is a salutary step that UN […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[77],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-114429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sarath-wijesinghe"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=114429"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114429\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=114429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=114429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=114429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}