Wearing a mask is not an option!

As published in Adyar Times July 11 - 17, 2020 Edition

Tamil Nadu government has announced that the state has started to hit a plateau in the spread of Corona cases. And with the lockdown relaxation from July 6, people emerged out of their homes in numbers. Monday was a busy day for everyone. Crowds were seen everywhere - petrol bunks, ATMs and shops.

At banks, the security made sure that customers entered with all precautions and were allowed in, only one by one. However, out in the open, not everyone in the queue followed social distancing. The only thing that forced social distancing at petrol bunks were the vehicles themselves.

At all places, not many wore their masks properly. Some had the only upper ribbon of the mask tied, while the bottom ones were dangling over their chests, some had it covering just their mouths, and worse still, some had it only over their chin.

Reasons can be many: difficulty in breathing, too much sweat, irritation to ears, too tight or too loose, unable to speak clearly. However one must remember: While one might not care for themselves, they have absolutely no right to put others in jeopardy.

I once saw a note behind a vehicle “If I die speeding, know that I was smiling when I died!” And I thought, “Well, I hope you live a hundred years. I don’t care what your last facial expression is. YOU better make sure that I don’t die because of your speeding, cause if I die, darling, that would be the last time you smile in your long life.”

Many seem to have a similar attitude. Unfortunately, we are born in the world with a massive human population. A single misdeed can have a ripple effect. One person not wearing a mask can risk multiple lives.

Any government punitive action must thus be implemented from the perspective of how many people might have been impacted. The more the merrier! More people potentially impacted, higher the fine.

Wearing a mask properly is not an option. It’s a necessity of the times.