The NCT of Delhi has always remained in limelight during the fight against Covid for encouraging as well as depressing reasons. During the critical months of August-September when the country was at the receiving end with cases and deaths rising exponentially, it captured national and international attention due to the rare success it notched in thwarting the pandemic. But, the picture changed dramatically since the first week of November and the situation is now critical to the extent that the Centre had to intervene. The link is now clearly established, winter and Covid are close companions enjoying a symbiotic relationship. This finding has an overreaching ramification for most parts of the country including the Northeast as winter is at the doorsteps. Arunachal’s winter Covid challenge is going to be tougher than other states as the one-day PR election is on December 22, which actually implies that all throughout the month preceding this date, people-to-people interaction, an unmistakable feature in reaching out to the electorate during any election process will increase. Virtual campaigning will hardly carry relevance in the state for reasons known to all. 
Delhi has overtaken all in terms of caseloads and deaths and in the last week its contribution to the national tally has been maximum. During this period, over 51,000 cases were added and there have been above 90 daily deaths and Covid positivity rate has skyrocketed to 15.33 % which is nearly five times the current national level of around 3.5 %. Reportedly, more than 75 doctors and 250 paramedics from paramilitary forces are being airlifted from different parts of the country to help the Delhi administration reeling under severe medical infra crunch especially manpower. Delhi’s exigencies have once again pin-pointed how the crises in terms of beds and ICUs can crop up from nowhere if the Covid situation turns critical all of a sudden. These inputs should serve as a good example for other states, underlying the need for pre-emptive winter plans to be rolled out as and when the situation demands.
Coming to poll-bound Arunachal, it’s a temporary relief that daily additions have seen a fall and while it should be the target of the Health Department to sustain the trend, it needs to be realised by all stakeholders-contesting candidates, their supporters and common people alike that the month ahead which will mark an uninterrupted election atmosphere will be an influencing factor for the state’s Covid picture immediately thereafter. If the election-specific SOPs are undermined amid election excitement, it will be an invitation to the virus to multiply further and the SEC must be stricter than ever before in this regard.
As it’s a dual challenge of conducting election amid a Covid-high winter, responsibilities in double await all.  

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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