Complacency, ignorance among crowds stepping out as 3rd wave rages on

New Delhi: Even as authorities, experts and doctors are driving down the message on a daily basis the importance of masking up to contain the spread of the third wave of Covid-19, scores of Delhiites are openly found not wearing masks every day — with some showing complacency, others displaying a misplaced sense of confidence over being double-vaccinated and yet some others flouting rules citing the nature of their jobs.

At New Delhi Railway Station on Monday, social distancing had gone for a toss with crowds outside the closest metro station and at cigarette shops. While a lot of the people at the spot were found wearing masks — albeit some incorrectly, those who weren't seemed to incorrectly assume that the double shot vaccine would protect them from infection.

One such passerby, refusing to reveal his name, said, "I'm double jabbed with Covisheild, no harm will come to me and moreover I have a strong immune system". However,

doctors and experts have repeatedly decried this false notion and said that everyone — regardless of their vaccination status — must wear masks to effectively curb the spread of the virus.

Meanwhile, at the Anand Vihar ISBT, as crowds gathered to board and alight from buses, what was noteworthy was that almost all bus drivers and conductors were found maskless. One of the drivers, again refusing to reveal his name, said, "We have to constantly shout to call passengers. We cannot do that with a mask on our faces. We put on our masks when we start driving." The conductor of this Varanasi-bound bus echoed the driver's views.

At popular marketplaces such as Chandni Chowk and Chor Bazar in North Delhi, social distancing was nowhere to be seen and the number of eateries there meant many were standing on roadsides munching on snacks maskless. However, caution seemed to be thrown to the wind, when a 22-year-old engineering student said, "I love going out in winters with my friends, it's like a ritual for our group." When asked about the rapid spread of the third wave, she said, "I've read on Facebook that this is a mild variant and on top of that we all had both the doses of the antibody cocktail so there's little to worry about."