‘Be Responsible’ call echoed

TDT | Manama

With the alarming increase recently in new active cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and related causalities on the island, residents and citizens are getting concerned. Many have expressed their frustration with people taking things too lightly, which authorities have said is one of the main reasons for the record number of new infections that have been reported in past weeks.

TDT spoke to various people from around Bahrain about this reckless non-compliance with health and precautionary measures, and they are echoing the government’s call for everyone to “Be Responsible”. “The number of cases seems to be increasing in Bahrain compared to the previous weeks and months; I hope people understand the severity of this and follow some self-imposed restrictions,” says Ramesh Narayanan.

“Apart from the few guidelines that the government has given us, I think people should take extra precautions and avoid going outdoors as much as they can.” Kharisma Privado adds: “In spite of the government being strict on the preventive measures, it is very upsetting to see others not wearing their mask and no social distancing in public places.

We do not know who is infected and asymptomatic amongst us. “Let us not wait to be infected before we take things seriously as we are in a global pandemic. With so many families, individuals and businesses being affected this time, we should be considerate and think of how we can protect each other and follow the guidelines provided by the authorities.

With this, we can overcome this pandemic with fewer deaths and total recovery of all infected.” Roz Lazar raises concerns over non-compliance with social distancing measures. “Nowadays I notice very few people not wearing masks—most people are wearing them—but social distancing is not always maintained,” she says.

“Accompanied by their parents, small kids are going to supermarkets, which is not advisable. They are touching here and there, which is not safe. “But most people are afraid too; even when I go shopping, I don’t spend much time. There is an eagerness to be back home, compared to the before-corona era.”

Meanwhile, Nishita Mullamangalam highlights the improper disposal of face masks and the environmental problem it could lead to. “I’ve noticed these days that people are littering public places with disposable face masks; in so many public car parks, you can see them flying around,” she says. “It is very dangerous and we really should do something about it.

Each and every one of us has a responsibility to be careful while we are out in public so that we don’t spread the virus to anyone else. What if someone is an asymptomatic carrier and then they just throw their masks away on the road? Someone else might catch it from them and it’ll keep spreading.”

Wishing well for the country and all families, Joe Allen Reototar says: “We are greatly concerned about the growing number of COVID-19 cases and deaths, especially considering we have a little kid at home. It would be unfair if people are taking the situation lightly while we are taking precautions and strictly following the government’s rules.

“We should be responsible enough to consider other peoples’ well-being. We need to take care of ourselves in order to take care of others. We pray that this global pandemic would end soon and everything will be back to normal.”

Diptanil Roy adds: “The situation is getting worse so all we can do is band together in a time like this. We need to look out for each other. Stay indoors as much as possible and when you do go out, follow all the precautions you can. You can never be too careful.”