Aug 05, 2021

Covid Update in India

A month or two ago, with a huge COVID spike causing huge humanitarian issues to millions of people in India, I shared an emotional post on the situation, and my subsequent need to step back and take a break for a month or two. I received so many appreciative and supportive notes from people from all over the world, just expressing their support and love that was so truly appreciated.

What I didn't highlight then, and I don't think anyone in the world, and certainly not Australia could have known at that point, was the devastating impact that the Delta variant, which was first detected in India in October last year, could go on to have on so many people, so quickly. And what this has just served to reinforce within me is just how small business, and in India in particular the at risk daily employees, and especially women, are at risk at this time like never before.

All we can do is continue to support small and local businesses, wherever you are. And for those of you interested I have included some more details on my journal here.

In India, the most impacted by the resurgence of Covid via the Delta strain are, as always, the least fortunate. I highlighted the plight of migrant workers in India last year, and how those who rely on daily cash work are so crucial to the Indian economy yet are so often over looked and the worst treated. The most recent instance of this has exposed the lack of oxygen and the rapidly evolving black market sales for this and other crucial medicines, serving to only increase the gap between the haves and have nots in an already divided country.

The impact of Covid, in numbers, is quite simply staggering. Over 418,000 deaths, more than 30 Million cases, and more than 40,000 cases a day. All many of these are just estimates as due to the sheer size and population of India much of this is really guess work. The spread and impact of Covid sadly has been worsened by the governments decision (or perhaps inability) to have more national lockdowns, as they are just not possible with the population and workforce they have. This factor has really driven the spread within India, but as we are now seeing has had what appears disastrous knock-on effects all around the world.

In all of this - the most impacted and the hardest hit are always the poorest, and perhaps for me most sadly the women who seem to be suffering even more. The daily workforce in India who do mostly menial manual labor is a massive part of the economy, forced to live and work day to day on cash payments, and thus with little or no chance to be afforded the luxury to stay home and not work during times like this.

The women, still primarily responsible as the primary caregiver, have had to take over looking after their multi generational families as Covid often goes through households at a time. And on top of this, they are often expected to work or gain extra income, outside the hours of home caring they are now forced to do. For many its an insurmountable task with sadly quite often fatal consequences.

So whilst many of us in many parts of the world have complained about our inability to travel, or being forced to lockdown, I see with such sadness how people in India are struggling and coping and my heart just breaks. If there is ever more apparent examples than how we are all one world and all in this together with the Delta strain spreading from India, I simply don't know what is.

I just wanted to share this, to send my thoughts and prayers and love to people all over the world who are struggling right now, and to let me know we love them and we are all in this together.