‘Public involvement key to preventing third wave’

Call for ban on all forms of public gatherings

COVID-19 incidence in Nalgonda district, which was one of the highest in the State during the second wave with infection rates hovering around 30% before implementation of lockdown and nearly half after that, has reduced to below 3% of late. However, people’s response and preparation against the attack, in the possible event of a third wave, appear casual, say officials and observers. Even though many lives were lost, going easy on masks and distancing shows people are not serious, says Waseem, a shopkeeper in the usually bustling Prakasam Bazaar. He calls it “living with short-term memory”.