Pandemic a divided world

Yes, the limbo of a looming virus and waiting for another Covid-19 wave, seems to have divided the world in two parts. One part continuing to follow protocols as follows:

1. Mask
2. Social distance
3. Sanitization
4. At home work (in my case it is possible)

The other part, seeing this point as an opportunity to go out meet friends, in AC recirculated air restaurants, or meeting family members, or doing non-essential errands. Unfortunately, the second category is the majority. And this is the group that will lead to us suffering again, even for the members of the first group.

This is a lot like the problems of global warming, no matter how much Bhutan is carbon footprint negative, it still continues to suffer natural disasters due to the consequences of other countries who have massive carbon footprints.

Even at my home, there is an exact division of views in whether it is safe to go out and meet friends. One members goes out in the open everyday wearing mask and following distance protocols. (In my opinion, this is safe). One other member, goes out and socializes, parties, and even brings in friends in home in poor circulated air conditioned flat apartment room, and has food, unfortunately today a food social event requires one to open the mask.

I was called out whenever I protested on my apparent double standard. As I myself had made the very poor sin of vacationing with only the family members that I am staying with long term. Here's how I did the planned vacation:

1. The total per day cases was around 15k all over the country for 60 consecutive days
2. The total deaths per day was less than 200 all over the country
3. And the total active cases was less than 2 lakh all over the country
4. The location Darjeeling was having a consecutive streak of no cases for about a week.
5. My family members thankfully before that fully agreed on COVID protocols and were in home quarantine
6. We wore masks always on the drive in the car (N95 while AC on and surgical when circulation was high) Driver also always wore mask. He also luckily had a negative RT PCR test a few days before we arrived.
7. We went during off season, where the hotels occupancy rate was very low. (We had the entire floor to ourselves)

Meanwhile the case rate currently has reduced dropping. Here are some statistics:

1. Current active cases: Over 4 lakhs
2. Current daily deaths: around 800 (7 day moving average)
3. Current daily cases: 40,000 (7 day moving average)

**The green signifies when I went for vacation, and the red signifies when currently people are partying.**

No one is safe until everyone is safe.

Is it then really worth the risk? When majority is not vaccinated, and the current vaccinations (full two doses) might not be enough to keep variants at bay. Is the burger or pub alcohol really worth putting ourselves to risk? Is the family gathering so important when it has not been long that we suffered through the consequences of our lapses in judgement. Are we really this incapable of finding inner happiness, with so much luxuries that have been showered upon our lives? Is meeting people (as many) with masks and social distancing without social food consumption so so important that we might have to see the mass graves and black body bags again?