Now let’s keep it that way

Last week Knysna reached it lowest ebb in terms of new Covid-19 cases since the onset of the disease. With a tally of only nine, it is even lower than the first wave count which bottomed out at twenty. Active cases at 34 are still lagging behind the first wave record low of 11, but we'll probably get there soon.

This is good. A fine place for our town to find itself in.

Well done to all who helped place us in this fortunate position.

The bad news is that the Covid graphs clearly show that this trough is immediately followed by a sharp rise leading up to the next wave. And as soon as the next wave climbs too high, the lockdown restrictions are implemented again.

The rise constitutes a rather logical and easily understandable progression. We go into lockdown, we get bored, miss human contact and start suffering cabin fever. Then the lockdown is lifted and like a coiled spring, we burst forth into our habitual preCovid behaviour and default social settings. We are immersed in a state of acute denial and act as if the pandemic exists only when the lockdowns are enforced and it doesn't when they are lifted.

The ailment spreads and this leads directly to another lockdown. Thus, probably one of the worst things about the Covid-19 pandemic is the hard, cold fact that the less we comply with the prevention protocols (masking, social distancing and handwashing), the longer and more often the lockdown periods will be.

This is the basic truth. Regardless of whether you believe that the disease exists or not, are pro- or anti-vaccination or are absolutely convinced that the entire Covid-19 crisis is a global conspiracy launched by Big Pharma, Bill Gates, The New World Order, the Russians or all of the above and more. The fact is that our government, as has all others worldwide, believes it exists. It trusts the figures offered to it by our chosen medical workers and experts in the medical establishment. Whether we like it or not, this will be the data Government responds to. If the information indicates that the Covid-19 cases are rising too high, a new lockdown will be enforced.

Another aspect of the current situation that the government will respond to irrespective of whether we agree with it or not, is the fact that Covid-19 spreads faster and more efficiently when the basic three compliance protocols are not followed. In other words, the less people wear masks, keep their social distance or wash their hands, the quicker the disease spreads and the sooner we will be locked down again.

It makes no difference whether we believe this to be the truth or not.

Our government, rightly or wrongly, does. And hitherto, no one has come up with another viable explanation for why the disease spreads so radically when we don't follow the protocols.

In fact, the only way to prove the government wrong, is to adhere as strictly as we can to the social protocols and if the spread increases we have a basis for the argument that the protocols make no difference to the amplification of Covid-19.

Thus, if you don't like being locked down, another hard fact to confront is that the only way to avoid it is to adhere to the current Covid-19 protocols which, all things considered, are not such a hard act to follow: wear a mask over your mouth AND nose, wash your hands with soap regularly and stay two metres away from other people. Who knows, perhaps we can radically temper a third wave or even avoid it completely by doing this. Why not give it a try?