Print Interview
The announcement of the Covid-19 outbreak as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) has seen various countries across the globe adjusting their daily activities. One of the critical measures outlined in the fight against the disease is the avoidance of public crowds and ensuring social distance among people (MacIntyre, 2020). To achieve this, many countries have resorted to shutting down learning institutions and operations of towns that are crowded with people. The shutdown of cities is forcing many people to adjust their lifestyles. While some have decided to keep themselves quarantined in the closed urban towns, others have decided to travel to the rural areas. The movement has aroused some controversial debates in line with the call for individual responsibility in the fight against the pandemic. The discussion in this article reports a telephone interview with a Mayor of one of the shutdown cities in the country. The story is for listeners of my radio station whom I keep updated on the pandemic and the practical measures to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.
The mayor shares his opinions regarding the measures of fighting the Covid-19 diseases and provides a significant insight into the controversy of urban-rural transfers during this period. The mayor begins by thanking the government for giving the order to shut down his city of administration. He congratulates the members of the public for significant adherence to the rule and other measures set in place to control the spread of the Covid-19. In his belief, effective self-quarantine and adherence to the preventive measures will ensure that the disease gets extinct after a few months. The mayor warns the citizens against moving from the urban areas to the rural during this season of the global fight against the coronavirus. He states that the movements could result in the transfer of the virus to the rural areas, hence resulting in a nationwide spread of the disease. The mayor concludes that people should remain in the places they are currently and minimize internal movements to ensure a successful fight against the spread of the Covid-19.
Reference
MacIntyre, C. R. (2020). The global spread of COVID-19 and pandemic potential. Global Biosecurity, 1(3).