India is suffering from the second wave of Coronavirus disease, and it has serious effects on various aspects of society in the country. The government takes measures to restore traffic and allow domestic and international travel. However, dramatic increases in the number of COVID-19 cases impede maintaining passenger traffic. Healthcare experts make predictions regarding the future development of the disease.
The country had a sudden surge in the number of active cases in the middle of May 2021. According to the COVID-19 Live dashboard (2021), more than 10 million people are currently diagnosed with the disease. At the same time, nearly 25 million people around India have been vaccinated (COVID-19 Live dashboard, 2021). The government is actively informing citizens about precautions and providing access to immediate medical care.
The United Arab Emirates has set restrictions on flights from India. Sinha (2021) reported a new mutation of the virus actively spreading throughout the country and causing the UAE to suspend passenger flights until the end of June. Dubai will not see any Indian tourists in the summer of 2021 unless the spread reaches an acceptable pace to re-establish international transfer.
A sharp Coronavirus outbreak in May of 2021 has affected domestic passenger traffic as well. The carriers used to operate at 80 percent; however, the schedule has recently been modified to allow only 50 percent of flights since June 1 (Press Trust of India, 2021). A complete ban on traffic flights was found unacceptable, so the government hopes the recent decision will at least slow down the current pace of the COVID-19 spread.
India currently faces the second wave of Coronavirus, which is extremely deadly. Experts on India Today shared their predictions of a third wave occurring in the winter of 2021 (Sharma, 2021). Although another spread is inevitable, some factors can determine its scale, such as providing vaccination and preventing «super spreader events» (Sharma, 2021). Epidemiologists believe that the vaccination program can significantly reduce the presumed dangers of a new wave.
To summarize, the current state of coronavirus disease in India is dangerous. Although vaccination and medical care are provided, it is not enough to prevent massive outbreaks. Restrictions are put on domestic and international travel to stop rapid transmission. Healthcare experts are sure about another wave hitting the country by the end of 2021 but insist on taking measures to protect most of the at-risk population.
References
COVID-19 Live Dashboard. (2021). Government of India. Web.
Sinha, S. (2021). UAE extends travel restrictions from India till June 30.Times of India. Web.
Sharma, M. (2021). When is a third wave of Covid-19 likely to hit India? Experts dissect possible factors.India Today. Web.
Press Trust of India. (2021). Centre puts 50% cap on domestic flight operations, to come into effect June 1.India Today. Web.