Unprecedented concern

Little by little, the Coronavirus pandemic – it has been declared as such by the World Health Organisation – is taking over our lives.

Malta has not been spared, as we have registered our first cases and there is a great possibility that things will have to get worse before they start to get better.

The measures that have been taken so far are unprecedented in our country, like in many others.

Schools are now closed for at least a week, with the government saying that there will be a review of the situation on Friday to see whether the closure should be extended. Many companies are taking drastic measures to try to limit contact among their own employees as well as with clients. There have been calls for a complete lockdown in a bid to control the transmission of the disease. Even the Church has taken its own important decisions, suspending Masses and funerals until further notice. Public activities where attendance is high have been banned and even private functions, including weddings, have had to be postponed. At the time of writing, clubs and restaurants are still allowed to open, but it would not be – and it should not be – a surprise if things change here too.

We have to change our lifestyle, at least until this dreadful period is over. What was routine yesterday must change today, because we are all involved, and we must all pitch in to get out of this situation as soon as possible.

We are all preoccupied by how much the situation has escalated and how quickly. The least we can do is give our own little contribution, especially by avoiding unnecessary risks and taking the advice of the real experts – the health authorities, not the many ill-informed Facebook users.

Decisions, as the Prime Minister said so many times, are being taken hour by hour. It was not easy for the government to decide to close the schools. Some may say that it should have been taken earlier, but then others would have complained that it would have been overkill. You will always find people who disagree, whatever decision is taken.

What is important is that we take matters seriously. The closing of the schools should not be considered as holidays, as some unfortunately are thinking. Children should be left at home and not be carried around to supermarkets, just to give one example. They have so much with which to entertain themselves these days, and catching up on their studies or perhaps reading a book will not do any harm at all. Parents should act responsibly at all times, even if this means making their own sacrifices.

It is good to note that most organisations are following the government’s directives by cancelling or postponing events that would have led to the gathering of people in closed or confined spaces. Those who have not yet realised the worrying situation we are in would do well to follow suit and put off their event.

We must all understand that, in situations like this, there might come a time when all medical resources will be stretched to the limit. So even one case fewer will make a big difference.