CATCH 22 Situation

Whole world is starting to realize that this epidemic of Covid-19 is here to stay and living with precautions needs to be the new normal.

Currently in Pakistan there is a lock down and forceful enforcement. Business are now trying to open and the situation is getting messier day by day. Govt efforts to enforce lock down are starting to fall apart. Govt does not have effective and trained workforce. The workforce that they have only know how to get extra meat out of the current situation. People have zero trust in them; as every one knows all these Govt enforcement will lead the way to looking the other way with them talking Chai Pani, Mithai, Quid-e-Azam AKA Bribe.

Govt Enforcement

1. Keep Shops Closed

• Solution by Traders: Sitting outside or near shops and opening store to provide the customer.
• Problem Caused: Trader in harms way sitting outside all day. Client going into a close shop with minimum social distance. Law enforcement raid the place arrest people and take them to Jail; where social distance cannot be ensured with over population. Trader is fined; and he is unable to pay the fine as his business is closed and he hardly has money to eat how will he pay fine ? He may go to Jail where again social distancing is major issue.
• Solution: Make Markets create self vigilance teams and self regulate. Keep it simple. Wear mask clean hands, Use sanitizers , create social distance. Don’t fill shops create marked waiting areas in the lobbies.

2.Transport Closed

• Solution by Rikshas: Starting to come on the road risking being caught.
• Solution by Vans: Starting to get on the road risking being caught.
• Solution by Rent a cars: Starting to get on the road risking being caught.
• Solution by Pillion Riders: Starting to get on the road risking being caught.
• Solution by Private Cars: They are hardly stopped anyway else Quid e Azam Zindabad.
• Problems Caused: Since very few Rikshas, Vans and rent a car on the road; the ones risking getting caught fill up to more than their capacity and hence causing more trouble with lack of social distancing. Again if they get caught they cannot pay fines and are taking to Jail or their cars impounded causing more trouble for the desperate and creating more situations of decreasing chances of social distances.
• Solution: Open transport with SOPs. Two passengers per Riksha; Riksha People will oblige as this is beneficial for them as they can earn more. Driver plus 3 passengers for 5 seater cars and Driver plus 5 for 7 seater cars. Vans two passengers per bench and one passenger in front. Buses can have one passenger per seat. For Riksha and rent a car it is beneficial for them so they can self impose else here police can intervene; since there will be no shortage of alternate rickshaws less people will break this. For Private cars Vans and Buses police can intervene; again soft reminders to start with; this is not hard to enforce as big vehicle stops are already examined and checked. Private cars should be enforced to follow the SOP. Bikes two passengers are OK as long as they are wearing masks and there are no kids and elderly. Movement of kids and elderly should be enforce strictly.

3. Stay Home Stay Safe: Govt has ordered everyone to stay home and stay safe.

• Kids Solution: Play outside; hear police siren run in.
• Adults Solution: Roam about needlessly; give essential grocery run excuse or run in when siren is heard.
• Problems Caused: Kids are playing freely on roads and causing greater damage as they take less care while playing and are more likely to put their hands in their month carry virus in. Adults needless going about bring unnecessary risk to themselves and their families.
• Solution: Parents need to be educated continuously via Social Media, Print and Electronic Media. Community Ucs and Streets have to self regulate. Get kids in the house. Adults can come to work during the day and stay in home later. Govt can intact its power to stop anyone going out after 8.

No answer is right but we need to quickly go out to self regulate. Get industry involved, make traders self regulate and make community self regulate. This is the only way forward. I know this all sounds simple and obvious goal of govt but this show off of work by Govt is causing more confusion and anxiety in people. It is abundantly clear any regulation enforced by Govt has short shelf life; due to lack of training and trustfulness of its workforce. Self/community enforcement seems only way forward. This is just my take and you have every right to disagree. I am realist and the situation is very bad; people are tired and are in need; they will risk their lives to feed their families. So Govt has to open up Businesses and transport by Community enforcement rather than using its corrupt work force that will eventually cause more harm.

AGAIN STAY HOME AND STAY SAFE is highly advisable but it is not practical unless there is balance. We are very undisciplined but a one month closure has scared most and this simple threat by Govt that they will close unless community self regulate should suffice for now. People will be out and about like crazy but here getting message to people is important. People will die and get infected way quickly but that will happen regardless. Flattening the curve is important but other developed county have goal set to the amount of patients their health care system bear. Our health care system is as it is at its limits and cannot coup with the influx in normal days. So what is our target for flattening the curve. This will spread and hurt the number of people slowly if flattened to a point but sadly with our health care system number of Deaths will be almost same. With opening things up with self/community restriction we can look for herd immunity which by looks of it our only hope. Again I am not an expert but this is what my view about the situation is. In my view Govt is over estimating its workforces capability and trustworthiness. There are definitely more capable people who are making decisions but people of Pakistan have no trust in Govt enforcers so Govt should work towards getting community enforcement in .