COVID-19 is a stark reminder of the fragility of life. Earlier this year, as the pandemic started to gain traction globally, an invisible threat started to take away the lives of thousands, young and old, healthy and not. It is now back among us, and over the past week we have seen a continued spike in cases, and unfortunately other lives has been robbed.
The human tragedy extends well beyond those that are only infected by this virus. As the human tragedy continues to unfold, the economic woes are deepening as time passes. The risks we took to open the economy have now backfired and we have been shut off by many a country. This has resulted in a significant blow to the local accommodation and hospitality sector which hinge on the tourist numbers.
Regrettably, this is going to be a reality that we will have to confront. Local investors, employees and self-employed are now facing a new wave of uncertainty which will only intensify over the coming months as the government measures start to expire. Thousands of jobs and families are being thrown back into the dark with a very bleak future awaiting them in the second half of the year. The more time passes, the more businesses risk going bust. We truly are living in complicated and uncertain times.
It is especially in this time, in this darkest hour, that we need to come together as a country with the aim of bouncing back from this negative state.
The selfless work done by our frontliners, including our nurses, doctors, health workers and other protection officers, gives us the courage and strength we need to come together and work towards one common goal. This is the other side of COVID, the face of courage, perseverance and selfless dedication to a common goal. I salute each and every one of them for they have made the country proud.
The more time passes, the more businesses risk going bust
Sadly, the same cannot be said of our government. During the first wave of the pandemic, the government reacted to contain the outbreak. However, after having opened our borders and economic activity the false sense of security which was collectively given by the government backfired. We witnessed official events not in line with social distancing guidelines, our politicians not wearing masks at all times, a frenzy to organise mass events without ensuring the right measures were being taken, and to top it all, mixed messages coming through the media.
Despite the media frenzy of being a digital and innovative island, we have failed to embrace technology like other countries did, in order to track, trace and manage contagion. As always, it is the citizen that is taking the brunt of these misgoverned reactions.
It became clear that the government was not only lacking a holistic plan to react to and contain this second wave, but it has lost its moral authority to lead through troubled times. This is yet another symptom of a deeper and systematic malaise that has overcome our island over the past few years.
Yet again, the management and handling of this infection spike has uncovered a glaring hole in our country’s governance. This government has continued to fail in its most basic obligation, and today we are one of the European countries with the highest cases per 100,000 people. Even here, the government lacked transparency, saying that we have the lowest rate of cases in Europe. This is why I reiterate that this government has lost its moral authority.
COVID-19 is not a statistical exercise. It goes beyond R-factors or the inclusion or not of migrants in the daily statistics, even though this practice, although approved by European authorities, does not conform to my standards of human dignity and of a people-centred governance system. Yet again, we have become slaves to numbers and seem to forget that everything we do in public life is about people: that the life of every single one of us counts!
As we continue to fight this battle, we will not lose hope. As a country we will come together as we have always done, to prevail over this challenge. However, we need to understand this government’s failings and realise that the true losers of these failings are young families, workers and our business class.
The people have spoken too, as a survey published by The Sunday Times of Malta clearly shows that they have lost trust in the government’s handling of the pandemic.
Malta deserves better.
Bernard Grech, PN leadership candidate