Movement for economic reasons, including use of public transport, is unavoidable, indifference towards safe public behaviour is extracting a heavy social cost. Even in the face of a deadly pandemic, governments are taking a benign view of recalcitrant people who do not wear masks, even on buses and trains, spit in public, and crowd commercial locations. During the monsoon and winter months, and the festive season, polite, persuasive enforcement would be essential to reduce infection rates. Among the relaxation measures in the October unlock phase is permission for cinemas and multiplexes to open at 50% capacity, but the risk surrounding enclosed spaces and transmission from asymptomatic individuals is real. Viewed against the enhanced risk of environments where masks are removed for eating and drinking, such as cinemas and restaurants, these entertainment options may not have wide appeal in the pre vaccine phase. While the economy shifts gears in the activity phase, the Centre should be focusing on improving the understanding of the health impacts of COVID 19. Disappointingly, while it has emphasised massive recovery rates from the infection, it has failed to standardise testing and reporting methods among States, and publish fine grained data on types of tests carried out in each State, anonymised patient histories, post recovery status for complications and mortality. The ruling BJP and the in 28 Assembly constituencies in Madhya Pradesh scheduled for November 3. Unfortunate circumstances deaths of three sitting MLA and resignations of 25 Congress MLA have led to these by-elections, within two years of the election in 2018 that had brought the Congress to power with the support of independents and smaller parties. The BJP displaced the Congress in March, following the defection of 22 Congress MLA. Three more followed suit in later months. Most of these 25 are likely to enter the fray as BJP candidates this time. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is leading the BJP campaign and he needs to win at least nine seats to have an absolute majority in the Assembly of 230. The BJP now has 107 MLA The Congress has 88 MLA and it needs to win all the 28 seats to return Movement for economic reasons, including use of public transport, is unavoidable, indifference towards safe public behaviour is extracting a heavy social cost. Even in the face of a deadly pandemic, governments are taking a benign view of recalcitrant people who do not wear masks, even on buses and trains, spit in public, and crowd commercial locations. During the monsoon and winter months, and the festive season, polite, persuasive enforcement would be essential to reduce infection rates. Among the relaxation measures in the October unlock phase is permission for cinemas and multiplexes to open at 50% capacity, but the risk surrounding enclosed spaces and transmission from asymptomatic individuals is real. Viewed against the enhanced risk of environments where masks are removed for eating and drinking, such as cinemas and restaurants, these entertainment options may not have wide appeal in the pre vaccine phase. While the economy shifts gears in the activity phase, the Centre should be focusing on improving the understanding of the health impacts of COVID 19. Disappointingly, while it has emphasised massive recovery rates from the infection, it has failed to standardise testing and reporting methods among States, and publish fine grained data on types of tests carried out in each State, anonymised patient histories, post recovery status for complications and mortality. The ruling BJP and the in 28 Assembly constituencies in Madhya Pradesh scheduled for November 3. Unfortunate circumstances deaths of three sitting MLA and resignations of 25 Congress MLA have led to these by-elections, within two years of the election in 2018 that had brought the Congress to power with the support of independents and smaller parties. The BJP displaced the Congress in March, following th