Unanswered questions for managing this pandemic

For the past year we have been firefighting (not really managing this pandemic efficiently and professionally). Now that we have a vaccine available it seems we have not come to terms with that effective rollout. Other countries such as the UK and the EU have rolled out over 20 million vaccinations and on this highly densely populated little island, with just over 500,000 inhabitants, we are way behind. With an average daily case of active cases ranging from 200 to 300 and a hospital that has reached breaking point, we talk of business as usual – shops opening normally in the high street; restaurants and coffee shops open and traffic still clogging our roads. Where is the national interest and our responsibility here? We should have been in lockdown (at least for a month or two) to avoid the fatal cases, in less than a year, of over 321 cases.

My questions are:

1. When will we get serious about the vaccination rollout? When will we set up more vaccination centres? When will we involve GPs and other doctors in this rollout? When will we also involve pharmacists and other medical staff here?

2. What plan do we have to vaccinate people here according to age and vulnerability?

3. When will we take this pandemic

seriously for once? First of all we need to take responsibility for the over 321 deaths and those who are in a serious condition in hospital.

Finally we need to stay safe, be responsible and act seriously.

Dr Julian Zarb Iklin