Hindi English Translation || Editorial || No room for bravado: On India easing COVID-19 restrictions

No room for bravado: On India easing COVID-19 restrictions

As long as (जब तक, अगर, अभी) the virus is in wide circulation around the world, India should not lower its guard

Signalling (संकेत करना, इशारा करना, दिखाना) the end of the third wave that began in the last days of 2021, the Government, on February 16, asked States to review and amend or end additional COVID-19 restrictions. Restrictions that hinder (बाधा डालना, अटकाना, रोकना) the free movement of people and economic activities may no longer (अब और नहीं) be necessary considering (ध्यान में रखते हुए, सामने रखते हुए) that the third wave seems to be truly coming to an end, the Government noted. From less than 7,000 daily fresh cases in the fourth week of December 2021, the number of cases began rising sharply in the last days of 2021 and increased exponentially (in a way something is increasing quickly/rapidly by large amounts; rapidly, dramatically, aggressively, abruptly) before peaking (शिखर, नोक) on January 20, with over 3,40,000 cases recorded. The decline in daily fresh cases too witnessed (गवाही देना, देखना, निरीक्षण करना) a sharp fall (गिरना, कमी) after peaking. But relying entirely on daily fresh cases might give a misleading (बहकानेवाला, भ्रमित करने वाला, अस्पष्ट) picture (चित्र, धारणा, दृश्य) as the Government revised the testing strategy (रणनीति, योजना) on January 10, which makes only those with symptoms and certain at-risk contacts of laboratory confirmed cases eligible for a test. The sale of self-test kits soared (उड़ना, वृद्धि) in many cities but the reporting of results by their users was poor. In addition, the mild nature of the disease in many fully vaccinated ((of people) administered with a vaccine to provide immunity against a disease) and previously infected people might have led to complacency (carelessness, laziness, laxity; self-satisfaction, smugness, self-regard) and a reluctance (unwillingness, disinclination, hesitation) to get tested. Despite the limitations in the measurement of cases, the sustained (continuous, constant) decline in the number of cases and in the positivity rate (the proportion of positives to total tests done for disease; the percentage of tests that are turning out to be positive for disease; the rate at which people getting tested for disease receive positive results) since the third wave peaked does indicate that the third wave is nearing its end. For the first time since the third wave peaked, the seven-day average test positivity rate nationally fell below 5% on February 12; it was 3% on February 16. But 16 States still report a seven-day average test positivity above the national average; it is very high in the Union Territory of Puducherry (28.8%), Mizoram (26.2%), Odisha (19%), and Kerala (18.4%). The true indicator (sign, signal) that India has reached the fag end (last part of something, particularly when considered as less significant or interesting) of the third wave is reflected (indicate, show, display, demonstrate) in the reduced number of hospitalisations (the act of taking (or) admitting someone to (or) in hospital for treatment).

The waning (decrease, lessening, weakening, disappearance) of the third wave caused by the extremely infectious Omicron variant (On 26 November 2021, WHO designated the (new coronavirus) variant B.1.1.529 a variant of concern, named Omicron, on the advice of WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution (TAG-VE). The first known confirmed Omicron infection was from a specimen collected on November 9. In recent weeks, infections in South Africa have increased steeply, coinciding with the detection) should be no reason to lull (lessen, decrease, diminish, ease, mitigate, moderate) India into complacency. The notion (idea, belief, concept, opinion, view) that India’s enhanced surveillance (monitoring, observation, scrutiny, inspection), manpower (employees, workers, workforce, personnel, human resources) and infrastructure can “fight any possible COVID-19 waves in the future” not only reeks of (be indicative of something (unpleasant/undesirable)) overconfidence but is also dangerous. Viruses continuously evolve (develop, progress, advance gradually; alter, change, transform) and what shade (nuance, difference, variation, variety; subtlety) and characteristics (attribute, feature, aspect, quality) the next variant (different or form or version or mutant of something (virus)) will have and the impact (effect, influence; result/consequence) it will have even in a population which has a large proportion of people fully vaccinated and/or naturally infected is unknown. Such bravado a year ago before the deadly (fatal, lethal, life-threatening) second wave driven (cause something to happen; prompt) by the Delta variant resulted in (cause, bring on, bring about) a large-scale loss of lives and badly impacted the livelihood (means of making a living with the basic necessities (food, water, shelter and clothing); means of support, subsistence, source of income) of millions in India. As long as the virus is in wide circulation in a large percentage of the world population, India should not lower its guard even when all restrictions to free movement are removed and economic activity is fully restored.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.ease (verb)

Hindi Meaning - ढीला छोड़ना, कम करना, मध्यम करना
English Meaning - reduce, moderate, lessen, decrease.

2.as long as (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - जब तक, अगर, अभी
English Meaning - provided that.

3.signal (verb)

Hindi Meaning - संकेत करना, इशारा करना, दिखाना
English Meaning - indicate, show, express.

4.hinder (verb)

Hindi Meaning - बाधा डालना, अटकाना, रोकना
English Meaning - obstruct, impede, inhibit, hamper.

5.no longer (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - अब और नहीं
English Meaning - not anymore.

6.considering (preposition)

Hindi Meaning - ध्यान में रखते हुए, सामने रखते हुए
English Meaning - bearing in mind, taking into consideration, taking into account, in view of.

7.peak (verb)

Hindi Meaning - शिखर, नोक
English Meaning - reach the high level.

8.witness (verb)

Hindi Meaning - गवाही देना, देखना, निरीक्षण करना
English Meaning - see, observe, view, notice.

9.fall (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गिरना, कमी
English Meaning - decline, drop, reduction, decrease.

10.rely on (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - भरोसा करना, पर विश्वास रखना, पर निर्भर होना 
English Meaning - depend on; resort to, have recourse to.

11.misleading (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - बहकानेवाला, भ्रमित करने वाला, अस्पष्ट
English Meaning - deceptive, confusing, ambiguous, false, pseudo.
 

12.vaccinated (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - टीका लगाना
English Meaning - (of people) administered with a vaccine to provide immunity against a disease.

13.picture (noun)

Hindi Meaning - चित्र, धारणा, दृश्य
English Meaning - impression, view/idea, notion.

14.strategy (noun)

Hindi Meaning - रणनीति, योजना
English Meaning - plan of action (in order to achieve a more expansive set of political, economic, and security interests).

15.soar (verb)

Hindi Meaning - उड़ना, वृद्धि
English Meaning - increase, rise (quickly).

16.drop/lower one’s guard (phrase)

English Meaning - to become less careful, to become less vigilant, to become less alert.

17.room (noun)

English Meaning - scope, chance, leeway, freedom, latitude, opportunity (for something to happen).

18.bravado (noun)

English Meaning - boldness, bold manner, boasting/bombast, bragging, daredevil.

19.come to an end (phrase)

English Meaning - finish, complete, conclude, close.

20.exponentially (adverb)

English Meaning - in a way something is increasing quickly/rapidly by large amounts; rapidly, dramatically, aggressively, abruptly.
 

21.livelihood (noun)

English Meaning - means of making a living with the basic necessities (food, water, shelter and clothing); means of support, subsistence, source of income.

22.vaccinate (verb)

English Meaning - inoculate, administer, introduce (with a vaccine to provide immunity against a disease).

23.lead to (verb)

English Meaning - result in, cause, bring on.

24.complacency (noun)

English Meaning - carelessness, laziness, laxity; self-satisfaction, smugness, self-regard.

25.reluctance (noun)

English Meaning - unwillingness, disinclination, hesitation.

26.sustained (adjective)

English Meaning - continuous, constant.

27.positivity rate (noun)

English Meaning - the proportion of positives to total tests done for disease; the percentage of tests that are turning out to be positive for disease; the rate at which people getting tested for disease receive positive results.

28.fell past of fall (verb)

English Meaning - decrease, decline, diminish, reduce, lessen.

29.indicator (noun)

English Meaning - sign, signal.

30.fag end (noun)

English Meaning - last part of something, particularly when considered as less significant or interesting.

31.reflect (verb)

English Meaning - indicate, show, display, demonstrate.

32.hospitalisation (noun)

English Meaning - the act of taking (or) admitting someone to (or) in hospital for treatment.

33.waning (noun)

English Meaning - decrease, lessening, weakening, disappearance.

34.Omicron variant (noun)

English Meaning - On 26 November 2021, WHO designated the (new coronavirus) variant B.1.1.529 a variant of concern, named Omicron, on the advice of WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution (TAG-VE). The first known confirmed Omicron infection was from a specimen collected on November 9. In recent weeks, infections in South Africa have increased steeply, coinciding with the detection.

35.variant (noun)

English Meaning - different or form or version or mutant of something (virus).

36.lull (verb)

English Meaning - lessen, decrease, diminish, ease, mitigate, moderate.

37.notion (noun)

English Meaning - idea, belief, concept, opinion, view.

38.enhanced (adjective)

English Meaning - improved, upgraded, strengthened.

39.surveillance (noun)

English Meaning - monitoring, observation, scrutiny, inspection.

40.manpower (noun)

English Meaning - employees, workers, workforce, personnel,  human resources.

41.infrastructure (noun)

English Meaning - the basic physical or organisational structure or framework that a country or organization needs in order to function properly. For a whole nation, it includes all the physical systems such as buildings, roads & railways networks, utilities, etc.

42.reek of (verb)

English Meaning - be indicative of something (unpleasant/undesirable).

43.evolve (verb)

English Meaning - develop, progress, advance gradually; alter, change, transform.

44.shade (noun)

English Meaning - nuance, difference, variation, variety; subtlety.

45.characteristic (noun)

English Meaning - attribute, feature, aspect, quality.

46.impact (noun)

English Meaning - effect, influence; result/consequence.

47.deadly (adjective)

English Meaning - fatal, lethal, life-threatening.

48.drive (verb)

English Meaning - cause something to happen; prompt.

49.delta variant/B.1.617.2 (noun)

English Meaning - Formally known as AY.2 or B.1.617.2, it’s a variant of the coronavirus, first identified in India, is renamed as the ‘Delta variant’ by the World Health Organization (WHO) and this variant is reclassified as Variant of Concern (VOC). The B.1.617.1 strain has been reclassified to a Variant of Interest (VOI) and labelled variant “Kappa”.

50.result in (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - cause, bring on, bring about.