Nations starting to ease COVID-19 restrictions

Some nations around the world are now beginning to relax the restrictions they imposed on their people when COVID-19 emerged as a major threat around March this year. All 50 states of the United States have now ended their lockdowns, allowing people to gather once more in parks and beaches. US President Donald Trump himself led an election campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, although the 19,000-seat auditorium was not filled to capacity as in previous gatherings of his loyal followers.

In Europe, the French people gathered in two districts of Paris last Monday to dance and sing in celebration of the annual midsummer Festival of Music – Fete de la Musique – that is traditionally celebrated all over the country. On the same day, France took a big step back to the old normal as millions of children returned to school. In England, the government announced that moviehouses, museums, and galleries would reopen July 4.

Most of the world’s nations, however, chose to retain their restrictions. Saudi Arabia announced it would allow only a “very limited” number of pilgrims for the annual hajj which normally draws 2.5 million pilgrims from around the world, including the Philippines.

In South America, Mexico delayed plans for a reopening of the economy. Coronavirus deaths continued to rise in Brazil, Peru, Chile, and Argentina. The pandemic is still accelerating, said

World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

This is the world today – a mixture of self-confidence and hope in some countries and continuing fear and despair in other countries. Scientists all over the world are striving to develop vaccines and cures, but the best expectation is that a vaccine will be ready only by the end of the year.

In the mass gatherings in the US and in France, it was noted the people were not wearing face masks. Many who watched the crowds in Paris were horrified and took to social media to voice fears of a second wave of COVID-19 infections.

The Philippines is carefully managing its own COVID-19 cases, lifting restrictions in areas where cases are down. In general, cases are down except for Cebu City where the severe restrictions remain. It has now been established that ultimately, the spread of the virus depends upon the people themselves — whether they comply with orders to wear face masks, keep a one-meter distance from the next person, and maintain the highest levels of personal hygiene. Today, in the streets of Metro Manila, for example, everyone wears a face mask of some kind.

Let other people throw caution to the winds after being cooped up for so long. We will follow our own carefully studied plans for phased lifting of restrictions, with the people themselves knowing their fate in this pandemic is – to a very great extent – largely in their own hands.