The COVID-19 era has redefined the way of life and I doubt we will revert to the way of life before the occurrence of the pandemic just as life changed after 911 and is reported to have also done after world wars. We need to accept that the life of mask wearing, sanitisation and social distancing will remain with us for years.

Though many are apathetic still to threats of getting infected as seen from their continued overcrowding interactions without taking prescribed precautions, I would not want to trivialise potential destructiveness of COVID-19.

Apart from President Trump, I am yet to hear from anyone who has been infected by the virus and felt its impact dismissing it as another variant of flu, yet many critics with no prior COVID-19 infection easily make such claims. By Nimroth Gwetsa, 29 December 2020.

Though there has been an unnecessary overhyping of this disease, I would not join those easily dismissing it as a mere flu, neither would I join those seemingly exaggerating its impact by calling for a total or stricter shutdown.

When people were dying like flies during the early AIDS epidemic days, no one called for a ban on promiscuous copulation even when many people were getting infected by the day and our health system failing to cope owing to the absence of relief medication then.

Main weapons then of combating the disease were either abstinence or condom usage. In other words, protection was mainly a personal responsibility besides efforts by government of raising awareness and seeking a pharmaceutical solution.

Better debaters among us can easily dismiss my argument and comparison to the AIDS matter citing many differences between the two scenarios. Fact is, our knowledge of AIDS is now more supported by hindsight, but then, it was just a crisis as COVID-19 is today.

Our best approach would be to accept the reality of this virus even when vaccination will soon be made available. Many would still not be vaccinated, and even after taking it, we are told we would still need to wear masks, sanitise, and maintain social distancing. More stringent measures would even be adopted for international travel and it is best we accept the reality of living with the virus.

Thus, we should have devised strategies of adapting economic activity to this reality and law enforcement attuned to dealing with blatant delinquents, than threatening the closure of some economic activities because of the lawlessness of the few.

Perhaps if borders were shut, travel to and from certain countries banned much earlier when there was no single case of the virus in the country, we would be better off. But even then, such is in hindsight and it does not mean we would have been in a better position now.

I contend that South Africa could not adopt stringent Chinese model of draconian total shutdown. Simple comparison of the countries’ financial strengths shows that South Africa was never going to sustain such a prolonged total shutdown coupled with large-scale public facilities sanitisation, testing, isolation or quarantining and general rapid response to reported incidents.

Fact that South Africa was already in junk status long before the pandemic and coupled with our epidemic of rampant corruption and abuse of state resources, anything more draconian was simply going to wreak havoc to the economy, much less the welfare of the already unsupported small businesses.

What we then needed was good public response and behaviour to stem infections and overwhelming public-health system. In the same way the public reacted to the banning of public smoking, the same approach should have been adopted in enforcing and combating COVID-19 regulations.

Many South Africans take important matters for granted and are spoiling it for the rest. Every major school holiday season, we see the carnage from road accidents many of which caused by recklessness of road users. This apathetic behaviour to rules should not go on unchallenged. The lackadaisical approach resulting in a knee-jerk response to a self-inflicted crisis is unwarranted. Leadership at a national and individual levels is needed.

We should shun those blatantly violating regulations just as we did when the cigarette ban was introduced so transgressors can see the seriousness with which we take health regulations and guidelines.

Nevertheless, now that it seems control has been lost and that public-health facilities are taking strain, something more drastic to send “shock wave to the system” is needed to reset lackadaisical attitudes. Sadly, we cannot argue against imposition of increased and more stringent restrictions.

Despite our beliefs for and against the disease, we now need to focus on public and not just individual interests.

Simple adherence to basic requirements for mask wearing, sanitisation, maintenance of clean hygiene practices, social distancing and avoiding unnecessary overcrowding should be enough to get us back on track. Even if it is somehow now declared that COVID-19 is another flu like virus, implementation of these measures benefits everyone’s good health. No value is lost in their observance.

Besides, this is nature’s way of forcing us to use the moment to focus on our plans and realise our visions. Time for living only for the now, “burying heads in the sand” hoping for the better is gone. Now is the time for serious reevaluation of our plans and progress in the achievement of set goals.

We should not abdicate our responsibilities to government, politicians, someone else or higher power without doing our bit within our means and abilities.

Everyone should behave like an entrepreneur, especially like one of growing small businesses without government or bank or private investor support. Hopefully, we shall then see right things being done by everyone.

Happy and prosperous New Year to you.