Easing of restrictions are a cause for hope. We have won a battle but not yet the war

IT HAS been 10 weeks and two days weeks since lockdown restrictions were put in place to help contain the spread of the coronavirus. Tomorrow, phase two of the easing of restrictions begins, and with it comes more freedom than we expected at this stage.

For the first time in a long time, the announcement on Friday gave a traumatised public reason for optimism. The community spirit shown by the nation has been remarkable and our adherence to a raft of restrictive rules and regulations has ensured we now control our own destiny in this fight against Covid-19.

We have not beaten coronavirus, so we welcome the caretaker Government’s realisation that learning to co-exist with Covid is an important part of the next phase of this battle. Trusting members of the general public to socially distance, to wash their hands and to follow public health rules is the only way a sustainable state of readiness can be maintained.

The realistic proposals, which we urge all readers to adhere to, provide a pathway to a return to some form of normality. We must not make the mistake of believing that this virus is fully in retreat, because the history of pandemics tells that the possibility of a second, more virulent, wave is real.

What that means is that the solidarity and mettle shown by the public may be called upon again in the future – maybe even the very near future. The phases are not guarantees, they are experiments.

We all now look forward to enjoying some of the forbidden fruits – socialising, meeting friends, inviting people into our homes – that have been denied to us. In that context, we must maintain our sense of civic responsibility. We now know the very real privations lockdown involves, dependence on the State for income or learning to work from home, the sometime frustrations of home-schooling, isolation and loneliness for many.

After all the hardships and sacrifices required to gain the upper hand on this devastating pathogen, we must make sure, if at all possible, that we never need to return to the blunt instrument of near-total lockdown.

And while this may be the end of the beginning, we can’t lose sight of the fact that even if a second wave doesn’t arrive, the battle against this disease has changed our way of life in ways we have yet to fully understand. Generations have been introduced to the reality that what happens on the far side of the world can have a massive global impact. Even if we are lucky enough to be spared a second attack, questions need to be asked about our preparations for any future global pestilence.

We have learned other lessons too, though – to be grateful for kindness, how lovely it is to hear bird song, how nice to breathe clean air.

Summer 2020 will forever be remembered for ill, yes, but also for some good. Let us, by acting responsibly, enjoying ourselves, spending on local businesses, prove that the solidarity of lockdown can translate into a community-led economic recovery. We have won a battle but the war continues. The next fight is for a more just peace for all, and for a planet that welcomed a chance to revitalise itself while we stayed out of its way.