Even the sanest of people do the craziest things when frustration gets the better of them. Donald Trump, by far, is certainly not the most rational person even at the best of times if his record is anything to go by, but what he said last Friday (24) at a White House press briefing was simply unbelievable even by Trump standards. This showed the level of frustration and desperation for a cure endured by the most powerful man on Earth. The raging Covid-19 pandemic has so far shown no signs of easing because even as the most severely affected countries begin flattening the curve, new hotspots are emerging elsewhere, continuing to raise the numbers of those infected globally. As of Friday, the coronavirus had infected nearly 900,000 in the US alone and killed more than 50,000. These numbers must have weighed heavily on Trump’s mind when he suggested that “putting sunlight and heat inside the body, using disinfectants to cleanse internal organs”, etc., might help fight the virus even as the medical professionals present at the White House briefing cringed in horror. This is what Covid-19 can do to the mindset of a leader of a country overwhelmed by the virus, and an example of what we here in Sri Lanka must not do in order to prevent such a calamity occurring in our own neck of the woods. Sri Lanka is now on the verge of community-level spread if extreme precautions are not taken to mitigate an outbreak. At the time of writing, Sri Lanka had recorded 452 cases, a sharp spike from 300 cases just five days ago. The emerging pattern is consistent with what has been seen in other parts of the world and it seems that the critical period is only just beginning. Let’s look at the trend. It took 54 days for 100 patients to surface in Sri Lanka, then 19 days for the number to reach 200, and just eight days to reach 300. The climb from 300 to 400 took just four days. Given these figures, easing the restrictions in place at this particular period of time will most likely undo all the good work done so far by the health and security authorities. It would be akin to running the marathon and giving up with the finish line in sight. The rush to ease restrictions, it seems, is to create a sense of normalcy in the run-up to the postponed general election rescheduled for 20 June. It goes without saying that if this delicate situation is not managed with an abundance of caution, the intended normalcy could quickly turn out to be a nightmare. Therefore, it is best that the views of medical professionals including the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) are given precedence over that of politicians, at least in this one instance. While the GMOA has been consistently lamenting the underutilisation of state health sector resources in fighting the spread of the virus, even as late as last Friday, Government Medical Laboratory technologists alleged that the lab at the National Hospital in Colombo which was equipped to conduct PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests had not been used at all. They even called for an investigation into this matter. The technologists also alleged that eight other state sector labs which were equipped to conduct PCR tests were hardly used while PCR testing machines at the National Blood Centre and National AIDS Control office had not been used at all. They added that these facilities could operate on a 24-hour basis but were only being used for a few hours a day and some not at all. Given the urgent need for heightened testing in light of the increasing number of patients, the revelations made by the Government Medical Laboratory technologists merit urgent attention. The top priority at this juncture should be the maximum utilisation of available state resources including equipment, personnel, and finances to ensure that the evolving situation is kept within manageable limits. As shown by South Korea, Germany, and Taiwan, the three most successful countries in tackling the virus, the best way forward is testing, testing, and more testing as it is the only way that virus carriers could be identified, isolated, and treated early. The Government must also focus on ensuring that the promised relief, especially the payment of Rs. 5,000 a month to those without an income, actually reaches those in need devoid of party affiliations. Daily protests by those who have not received this benefit are a health risk that could propel them from the frying pan into the fire. That said, it is only once the Government is convinced that the spread of the virus is well and truly under control that it should venture on to the next step of easing restrictions and getting the stalled economy off the ground. Premature action in this regard will most certainly be counter-productive and further delay the recovery process. Elections can come thereafter. It is a fact that Covid-19 has helped instil some form of discipline in how people conduct themselves in public. Be it using sanitary products to keep one’s hands clean or taking one’s place in a queue or the manner in which seating takes place in a public bus or train, every encouragement should be given by the State to inculcate these practices among people using the media and even bring in laws if necessary to ensure that these practices continue in the post-Covid era in order to ensure a more healthy and orderly society. When it finally comes around to starting up the idle economy, the fundamental principles that Covid-19 has brought to bear on each country needs to be kept in mind. While globalisation is well and good, the coronavirus has shown the merits of being self-sufficient at least in the basic needs – primarily food security. Countries around the globe are recalibrating their economies based on this fundamental principle, so that they would have to depend less on others in a crisis situation such as the current pandemic. Keeping this in mind, it is imperative that the Government identifies the sectors that need to be strengthened, most notably the agriculture, livestock, and fisheries sectors and offer incentives and concessions for entrepreneurs to take the plunge. With many global companies reviewing their industrial ties with China, emerging countries such as Sri Lanka stand a chance to benefit from such an eventuality, provided the matter is handled in a professional manner. For instance, almost all Japanese companies have announced their intention to pull out production from China. In a dog-eat-dog world, Sri Lanka should not shy away from wooing the Japanese to relocate their factories to Sri Lanka. Therefore, the post-pandemic world need not be doom and gloom as it is rife with new opportunities, especially in the global supply chain. Sri Lanka should not hesitate to step up to the big league as it certainly has the credentials in place with an intelligent workforce, ground infrastructure, logistics, etc. What is needed are competent people in the right places and not politicians who for 70-odd years have proven beyond doubt that they are incapable of delivering what is required to push Sri Lanka to the next level. Opportunity does not knock twice. However, for any of this to materialise, Sri Lanka must first banish Covid-19 from its shores. If elections are an impediment to this process, let it be pushed to the backseat. In the end, people will recognise and reward a job well done as opposed to a government holding their lives to ransom.