The sudden outbreak of Covid-19 in Mansehra district, where all tourist hotspots have had to be shut down in Shogran, Naran and Kaghan, underlines just why it is so important to be extremely careful while suddenly opening up something like the tourism sector so soon after the lockdown. It turns out that 47 coronavirus cases have been reported in 19 private hotels in the area, and since travel and business have just been opened, all this is the result of people mixing over the last couple of weeks. And while the district administration has been quick to lock everything down and quarantine all the affected people, who is to say just how many have also caught the infection and then made their way home to their cities and offices? Now how long are relevant departments going to take to trace everybody that came in contact with the infected people over the last few weeks, even if such a thing is really possible? Also, how long before more frightening news comes out of the virus spreading because everybody celebrated Independence Day by getting so dangerously close to each other? And now that Muharram is also upon us, and there’s no telling yet if the faithful will indeed observe the strictest safety and distancing protocols, we might really be in for a second wave just like so many other countries. So far the government’s handling of the pandemic, especially the timing and manner of ending the lockdown, has been exemplary, which is why it has quite rightly been appreciated by everybody all over the world. Yet the government was advised, at the time it was slowly reopening the economy, that taking the locks off the tourism sector so early might not be a good idea. Now it would be a big shame if this miscalculation once again leads to a spike in coronavirus cases. The economy has barely got back on its feet again, and all sorts of good news from increased export earnings to record remittances, etc, is coming from all over the place. But if the virus spreads once again, and more lockdowns are needed, much if not all of the good work done will be wasted right before everybody’s eyes. So while the government must be careful about what it reopens and when it does it, the people need to act even more responsibly and not behave in ways that wastes all the gains. Hopefully things will begin improving again soon now that the government has taken note of the matter and acted accordingly. *