COVID is very much around and has returned with a vengeance. Suddenly we now all know someone, family, relative, or friend either newly infected or has succumbed to the disease. Hospitals are filling up fast with COVID patients and retired healthcare workers are being encouraged to re-apply for their previous jobs. How did we get here? Who do we blame? Can this situation be arrested or reversed? What are the lessons learnt from other countries?

We all hold responsibility for this resurgence(second wave) of COVID. Our government for stampeding into action in complete darkness at the commencement of the pandemic in March, stigmatizing and criminalizing the disease, not following known epidemiological methods for epidemic/pandemic control etc. are major contributors.

The Public Health Act was invoked but not fully and closely implemented, ad-hoc policies were (and still are)being made on the fly without consideration of the consequences. Instead of admitting and working on deficiencies and gaps, the Ministry of Health shifted blame to citizens’ behavior and failed to own their leadership role leading to a despondent public. Political figures continue to ignore the guidelines laid down, this could worsen the numbers. Now that you know someone afflicted, infected or died with COVID, how do you protect yourself? For the last nine months, you have been hearing, like a broken record, the expressions, “wash your hands, maintain social distance and wear your mask!” It became repetitive and we soon completely ignored it. Covid is here to bite us in the back again with rising infection numbers because we’ve been unwilling to follow hygiene and sanitation guidelines.

You want to flatten the curve? Follow ALL the COVID prevention requirements.