Restarting Bundesliga a good sign for the world

Dubai move to reopen parks is another step on the road to normalcy

It is a good sign for the world when the favourite sport is back in action. The German football league, the Bundesliga, resumed to a much-deserved fanfare on Saturday. And this time, it wasn’t only the football fans who were cheering. With nearly 180,000 cases of coronavirus infection and 8,000 deaths, Germany has been one of the worsthit countries. Thus, easing up on the containment measure and resuming parts of ‘normal’ life is a substantial development in the fight against the pandemic. Other European countries plan to follow suit in the next two weeks.

In the battle against Covid-19, resumption of sporting events can be a good measure of how the curve is being flattened. That means the numbers have peaked and are finally stabilising and or even declining in some parts of the world. The crisis is far from over. No doubt about that. All experts, at the World Health Organisation and other scientific agencies, agree that we may not see the light at the end of the tunnel before the end of the year. But the will of life will triumph, as we have seen on Germany’s football fields on the weekend, as long as we commit to the safety rules.

In Dubai, dozens of parks across the emirate will reopen for the public today after more than two months of closure. Parks and recreational facilities will be opened in a gradual and phased manner that gives Dubai Municipality the ability to measure and assess the situation to ensure a healthy environment for the public and staff. Reopening of the parks follows the reopening of the malls two weeks ago.

As life slowly but steadily resumes normalcy, we must remember to follow the health guidelines. The reopening of the parks and malls and easing of the restriction on movement during the day are not a licence to ignore the health instructions, especially during the upcoming Eid Al Fitr holiday, which is likely to start on Sunday.

The government spokesperson, Amna Al Dahhak in her daily briefing on Saturday, urged people to skip the Eid’s social functions to avoid unnecessary risk. She urged people to follow the social distancing guidelines and avoid Eid gatherings.

By exercising social distancing, wearing the face masks and avoiding crowded places, the curve will be flattened, life resumed, and the virus beaten. It is all in our hands.