No turning back
Three months on, we are forced to wave goodbye to the old way of life that we took so much for granted.
No tears or regrets, just a fond farewell for old times’ sake. Now, we can look ahead to the life that awaits us, so please welcome the post Covid-19 era. More importantly, embrace it. It is the new normal way of life and it will be around longer than we think.
Until recently, we lived in a modern, globalised world that encouraged free movement of people. A movement that we may have failed to appreciate before it was severely restricted by the rules imposed on us by world leaders, in turn acting upon the advice of the world health authorities as the virus spread swiftly from one nation to another with a staggering loss of human lives.
The intention was specifically to curb international mobility that, only until a few months ago, brought uninterrupted prosperity to many world economies. Since then, the situation has gone into reverse and that mobility has turned toxic. For it continues to spread the virus even as far as South America and South Africa, the latest coronavirus hotspots, with an ever-increasing rate of infection.
The very thought that one of the major triggers for the diffusion of the coronavirus in Europe could have been a Champions League football match is astounding. Back in February, more than 40,000 fans had travelled to Milan to watch the match between Atalanta (Italy) and Valencia (Spain) at Milan’s San Siro
Football Stadium.
With the benefit of hindsight, we now know that the virus had already been circulating. The euphoric crowds were seated within centimetres of each other, in close contact, hugging and shouting as the virus passed from one person to another. Within a month, both countries had a total of 70,000 infections and a rapidly rising death toll. Hence the ensuing lockdown measures.
Since then, we have thankfully moved into the recovery phase and lockdown has now been lifted almost entirely in all European countries, including ours. But the mandatory changes to our previous lifestyle, necessary as they are, leave us in a quandary and we are left brooding on their significant effect on our lives. How even a friendly handshake can become lethal.
Washing hands and strict social distancing remain key measures in the fight against the deadly virus even in the post Covid-19 era. But the very idea that we may be stuck in this situation indefinitely fills us with dread. For it is going to be oh-so difficult to resist giving affectionate hugs and kisses to those persons we care for and from whom we have been separated for far too long.
No man is an island. Human beings need to be part of a community in order to thrive, with everyone being given enough space to develop and grow in prosperity. But never did we imagine that living in the post Covid-19 era could literally mean turning that space into an extreme form of social distance by building an invisible two-metre barrier to keep us physically distant from one another.
There is a fine line between safeguarding public health and exposing the public to contagion. In the absence of the elusive vaccine, we really must be careful not to overstep the mark. That said, almost each one of us would like to get on with our lives and take our chance to learn how to live with the virus as best we can, face masks, visors, and all.
Our Prime Minister has declared, somewhat triumphantly, that Malta has won the war against the coronavirus. But the general public is in no celebratory mood. Not only because there is a post Covid-19 crisis looming, but also because of the shocking revelations of criminal activity implicating the highest office in the land. Revelations that were allegedly secretly made known to the Prime Minister months ago. So, he will pardon us for not taking his feigned outrage too seriously.
Moreover, the threat that Malta may eventually find itself greylisted by the Moneyval monitoring body of the Council of Europe is very real. This cannot be good news for the country’s economy that has been brought to its knees because of the coronavirus Pandemic. The economy desperately needs a kick-start to escape an impending recession. But, judging from what some business owners in Valletta had to say about business not picking up quickly enough, with a revenue shortfall of 90% in some cases, prospects for the immediate future are pretty bleak. And to make matters worse, the Moneyval grey list hangs oppressively in the air.
Soon, the sea and airport restrictions will be lifted, and the business community is pinning its hopes on the arrival of tourists as a potential source of revenue. But realistically, nobody is holding their breath in anticipation. On top of that, this tiny island state is ever so limited when it comes to internal tourism. There is no place to get up and go to, except Gozo perhaps.
Spending power is low because people are out of work. Others are putting what is left of their earnings aside for a rainy day. Since lockdown measures were lifted, many people have become increasingly concerned about their safety and are only interested in the advice given by the health authorities. They are not impressed by the Prime Minister’s political rhetoric on how we should be treating ourselves to a good time because, you know, everything is hunky-dory out there.
We are entering one of the most difficult times in recent world history: the post Covid-19 era being ushered in on the heels of the pandemic. We could do worse than to listen to warnings from the experts to avoid crowded places and close contact. No wishful thinking that times are not tough and may well get tougher. Only one thing is for sure. There is no turning back the clock.V