India is one among those countries where more than 1 lakh people have tested positive for Covid-19. The outbreak of the disease caused is increasing day by day.
Though the number of Covid-19 related deaths in India are much lower than other countries with a similar or higher caseload, the cases are however rising rapidly, making India an emerging Covid-19 hotspot in the global scenario.
Since May 11, the health ministry skips media briefings or not held any press conference on Covid-19 even when the cases have increased by 59%. In last 29 days, it has briefed media on just 11 days, of which only five were in May-the month when India’s Covid-19 cases increased rapidly.
India has reported more than 3,200 new Covid-19 cases every day, since May 7. This figure increased further since May 11, with each day seeing more than 3,500 new cases. And, in the last four days (May 17-20), it increased to more than 4,950 new cases daily. This period also saw India’s highest single-day spike on May 20 when 5,611 new Covid-19 cases were reported.
It goes without saying that today India is facing its most terrible health crisis since Independence. What makes it depressing is the fact that there is no lucidity on how this situation will span out hereafter. The migrant workers’ crisis and a insolvent economy add to this chaos.
SKIPPING MEDIA INTERACTION
Despite all these conditions, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has been methodically skipping its media briefings, which once used to be a daily routine.
The ministry has not addressed a single media briefing to give updates, in the past eight days, on the present situation and as to how the government is planning to address this health crisis, which is becoming increasingly complicated.
There is no explanation provided after May 11. This was the last day when the health ministry held a media briefing. It did not give an explanation as to why it has chosen to suspend its interaction with the media at the height of a pandemic.
This is despite the fact that between May 11 and May 20, India’s Covid-19 cases increased by 59 per cent, from 67,152 cases to 1,06,750.
