Editorial | Moving towards normality

The announcement of a COVID exit plan starting from next month is welcome news for the economy, particularly the catering sector.

Restaurants have witnessed an exodus of customers since the introduction of the vaccine pass earlier this month. The reason why may be more psychological than practical.

COVID-19 has disrupted social patterns tremendously and we are still trying to understand the long-term impact this will have on how we interact on an economic and social level.

Dealing with the pandemic has not been easy. There are no straightforward solutions from a health perspective.

Authorities have resorted to the tried and tested solutions from history – isolation of sick people, reducing person to person contact and adequate hand and body hygiene. These were the same solutions used by authorities during the Spanish Flu pandemic at the turn of the 1900s.

But in addition to these practical solutions, today we have access to vaccines that are an important arsenal in this battle with a disruptive virus.

By far and large Malta managed to stave off the worst impacts of the pandemic and the vaccine rollout, including the booster dose, has been impeccable. The immense efforts of health workers, be they cleaners, nurses or doctors, are to be applauded.

But these efforts were also shored up by a very responsive population that reacted diligently whenever restrictive measures were introduced.

This collective effort has brought us to where we stand today – a situation where the post-Christmas surge is under control, and hospitalisations and deaths relative to the amount of new cases, remain low.

Meanwhile, more than two-thirds of the adult population has received its booster dose and a good part of children aged 11 and under are now fully vaccinated.

It is within this context that lifting of restrictive measures becomes a necessity. People need to start living again. The economy needs to regain oxygen. Society has to get going.

While the imposition of a vaccine certificate to access certain establishments was intended to give value to vaccinations, the numbers today suggest that a gradual easing of these restrictions is the right thing to do.

But the health authorities must continue to evaluate the data at hand so that all restrictions on social distancing are eventually lifted.

Quarantine periods, which have disrupted work environments, will also have to be re-evaluated, especially in a context where the COVID virus appears to be less virulent in people who are vaccinated with the booster dose.

This course of action will inject a new lease of life in the economy. The catering and entertainment sectors in particular have suffered a lot throughout the pandemic and it will not be easy for them to recoup losses.

However, as we exit the pandemic it remains crucial that lessons learnt on hygiene must not be forgotten. The authorities would do well to maintain educational campaigns in this regard and introduce permanent rules to have hand sanitizers available in shops, outlets, schools and other work establishments.

It may be bold to speak of the pandemic in the past given the global scenario where disparity in vaccination rates remains a problem. But there is hope that a new dawn is around the corner and Malta must be in a position to harness the opportunities ahead.