IS the world struggling to get back on its feet to return to normalcy or at least near normalcy? The answer is a resounding “yes” as many countries across the globe have decided not to be intimidated by Covid-19.
There is no doubt the threat from the pandemic is real, and almost six million people have perished succumbing to the virus, and the numbers are running as I write. Having said that, how long more do we need to suffer with our right to living expansively robbed from us cruelly?
Smaller countries with fewer population have put in rigid restrictions, with loads of standard operating procedures which are painful but are being complied with for fear of reprisal from the respective governments. The penalties are harsh and the need to be on the lookout constantly has robbed us of our free spiritedness.
The bigger developed nations have decided to let go and let loose, and whether their decisions are right or wrong is yet to be seen.
In the UK, it was declared by Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week that face masks will no longer be mandatory in public places and Covid-19 passports will be dropped for large events as infections level off in most parts of the country.
Johnson told lawmakers that the restrictions were being eased because government scientists think it is likely that the surge of infections prompted by the highly contagious Omicron variant “has now peaked nationally”.
He said the government was no longer advising people to work from home, and compulsory face masks were to be scrapped in secondary school classrooms.
A cursory look at other countries shows that Denmark became the latest European country to lift almost all Covid curbs.
The government is following the UK in easing restrictions despite the high number of cases. This came as a “wow” factor for most of us who have been waiting for signs that things were easing up.
In the latest news, Norway has lifted quarantine requirements for unvaccinated travellers, and the Netherlands has loosened lockdown restrictions further.
Also, residents of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates now need a booster shot in order to be considered fully vaccinated, but international tourists do not. China is tightening restrictions in Beijing ahead of the Olympics and Ireland has removed nearly all of its Covid measures.
France has announced plans to ease gathering restrictions and has lifted outdoor mask mandate, but was now requiring booster shots for vaccine passports to remain valid.
Meanwhile, Japan has tightened restrictions on restaurants, bars and event venues in 13 regions, and the country has extended the ban that blocks foreign visitors from entering until the end of February.
In the meantime, I was happy to note that Thailand will ease entry requirements for vaccinated travellers next month.
With these, where do we place Malaysia? Some say we are on the extreme and yet others are happy with the government-imposed restrictions to keep infections under control.
Travelling to Malaysia is a cumbersome affair, even if one is a citizen. The wait to receive approval from the government on quarantine before boarding can be stressful. The application has to be submitted seven to 10 days before the arrival date in Malaysia and the auto-generated message from the application says the results will be known within three to four working days. The approval does come in time before the travel but for first timers, the wait can be frustrating.
Apart from that, non-citizens are still not allowed into the country but with various exemptions. Spouses of citizens need to have an extra layer of approval and it is dealt with entirely online. I know of a friend whose application was rejected twice and the husband, who is a Malaysian, had no avenue to seek clarification. It may sound silly but the only way forward is to keep applying until it is approved, with only wild guesses where the previous applications may have faltered.
The tourism industry is writhing and convulsing in pain with no reprieve. The prime minister did indicate that the Malaysian borders may be opened for international travellers but no date has been set yet.
There has been calls from world leaders to treat Covid-19 as a common flu and to get on with life which was met with strong protest from the World Health Organisation (WHO), particularly because the spread of Omicron had not stabilised.
It started with Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who made headlines when he said it may be time to change how it tracks Covid-19’s evolution to instead use a method similar to how it follows the flu, because its lethality had fallen. That would imply treating the virus as an “endemic illness”, rather than a pandemic.
WHO shot back, with its special envoy for Covid-19 Dr David Nabarro saying the virus is not like flu and should not be treated as such. Nabarro said the coronavirus is a new virus and we should treat it “as though it is full of surprises, very nasty and rather cunning”.
As I said before, whether easing up is the right way forward is highly debatable and the decisions can be influenced by controversial political leaders and commentators who are celebrated anti-vaxxers. They had compared Covid-19 to the flu since it first started spreading, typically to downplay the severity of the coronavirus.
As we know, while some symptoms are similar and both are respiratory illnesses, Covid-19 is often more severe and kills more than flu, the impact of which is also downplayed in comparisons.
It is said that seasonal influenza killed up to 650,000 people a year and there were three influenza pandemics in the 20th century, one of which killed an estimated 50 million people. High rates of Omicron infections, which reached record levels in many countries, with relatively low levels of hospitalisations and deaths compared to previous variants, had revived the comparison.
Looks like Malaysia is on the right path in the war against the pandemic. Let us be safe than sorry! Festive season is usually a time for joy and camaraderie but now it is also another cause for worry.
Gong Xi Fa Cai!
Comments: letters@thesundaily.com
