Third World War: Mankind against COVID19

Sri Lankan health care workers in protective gear

Sugeeswara Senadhira-Saturday, March 28, 2020

America entered the 2nd World War much later than Allied Forces in Europe and elsewhere. The entry of USA to the WWII after the Perl Harbour attack in 1941 and the German invasion on Soviet Union, in which 2 million German soldiers died, sealed the fate of Hitler.

This week, the number of COVID19 cases in United Sates shot up to an alarming 85,000, the largest number for any country, surpassing China’s 81,000 and Italy’s 80,000. US also suffered more than 1,000 deaths due to coronavirus, as the dreaded disease spread to 42 states in US.

While Spain and Italy topped the death list in Europe, the United Kingdom - with 11,000 cases and over 500 deaths - has also been placed in a war footing reminding the famous battle cry of war-time Prime Minister Winston Churchill, ‘We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.

The first two world wars were fought against visible enemies carrying murderous and devastating weapons. There were also aerial bombardments and firing of salvos by war ships and submarines in the Second World War.

Contrary to the WWI and WWII, today’s fight is against an invisible mysterious enemy with frightening potential. Now, just four months after the first confirmed case in Wuhan in China, the entire world is grappling with a lethal reality that the new enemy, novel coronavirus, which has killed more than 21,000 people in the world, a toll that is increasing at an alarming rate.

The highly contagious virus has created clusters of illness, from Sydney to California, in more than 140 countries across every continent resulting in death and mayhem. As this article was written on March 27, there was a report that the with the lock-down in India, the second largest populated country in the world, one-third of the world population is under a complete lock-down.

War-time Premier Churchill’s success in mobilizing the citizens for the war efforts greatly helped to win the war. When 330,000 British and allied force soldiers were facing the eventual massacre by the advancing Germans, Churchill urged the people to rally around to rescue the beleaguered soldiers. As the war ships and naval boats were insufficient, the people came in their luxurious yachts, leisure boats and small fishing boats of poor fishermen to rescue the soldiers, thus saving the lives of more than 300,000 soldiers.

Today, the fight against the invisible enemy, COVID19 cannot be won without a similar support from the people. The war against the most ruthless terror outfit was won by a team headed by the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Army Commander Sarath Fonseka, Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda, Air Force Commander Roshan Gunatilake and six battalion commanders Shavendra Silva, Kamal Gunaratne and other countless officers and soldiers. We are fortunate that almost all of those leaders are today at the forefront of the battle against the invisible, but most lethal enemy, COVID19.

With the intention of formulating a national consensus on the steps taken to combat COVID19, a discussion of political party leaders was held at the Temple Trees, chaired by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, where a decision was taken to obtain the assistance of all the members of the dissolved parliament for the efforts. The Prime Minister made this decision after taking into the views expressed by the party leaders and their representatives into consideration. The opinions of the party leaders and their representatives will also be taken into consideration in the prevention of Covid-19 in the future.

Responding positively to the request made by the government, the party leaders commended the measures taken by the Government to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the country and also assured their fullest cooperation towards the measures to be taken by the Government in this regard in the future.

Health Services Director General Dr Anil Jasinghe apprised the party leaders and their representatives on the present situation in the country. The Party leaders also focused on the impact caused by the outbreak on country’s economy and measures that need to be taken to mitigate its impact on economy.

They also stressed the importance of continuing the present program to provide essential commodities to the public.

Prime Minister Rajapaksa said that arrangements have been made for the people to buy essential commodities through Cooperatives and Lak Sathosa outlets and this program will be further streamlined in the future.

The participants also discussed about the opening of tea factories and plucking of tea leaves and keeping the wholesale shops open to provide relief to the people.

UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe while commending the measures taken by the government said the curfew should be imposed to prevent the congregation of people. He also proposed to continue the leave granted to the employees who are not in the compulsory services. Former Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa also stressed the imperative need to provide early relief to the people.

Former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya also commended the government’s program and requested the Government to put in place a mechanism for the people to purchase essential commodities without any inconvenience.

The Party leaders pointed out that fishing communities are facing inconvenience as their produce are not allowed to be transported during the curfew. The Prime Minister in turn instructed the police to make arrangements to ensure that fishermen can transport their produce without any hassle.
Although, several Party leaders were of the view that Parliament should be reconvened, the majority was of the view that they should extend their full support to the present national programme aiming at preventing the outbreak of Covid-19 instead of re-convening the parliament.

Prevention is the main instrument in combating this global health threat. Maintaining social distance of at least of 1m when people are at public places such as markets, offices, bus and railway stations has been recognized as the best way to prevent the transmission of the dreaded virus.

In this national calamity, it is the duty of every citizen to extend fullest cooperation to the authorities, simply by abiding the health instructions to prevent the spread of COVID19.