Getting our lives back to normal

As restrictions are eased, the onus is on us not to let our guard down and risk another Covid-19 wave.

THE lifting of so many restrictions on our lives from Sunday means that we are well on our way towards Covid-19 endemicity and back to a semblance of normality.

And nowhere is this more obvious than in the tourism sector. This was forcibly brought home to me during a quick trip to Melaka earlier this week.

The hotel I stayed in was only 30% full. The usual tourist spots like A’Famosa, St Paul’s Hill, The Stadthuys and the many museums in the historic city were all close to empty.

The number of shops along the famed Jonker Street that were closed for good was alarming while some of the businesses that survived the pandemic have resorted to opening only three or four times a week.

The easing of restrictions cannot come soon enough for Melaka. Tourists have always been the lifeblood of this city and I’m not referring to just overseas travellers. The outstation tourists and especially Singaporeans have always ensured businesses boomed.

On my last night, I walked into Hard Rock Café. Strategically located near Melaka river, the place used to be buzzing, but without a live band (common at all Hard Rocks), there was hardly anyone around.

The return of live music from May 15 will definitely make a difference to Hard Rock and many places like it. Tourists are trickling in now and the signs are that businesses in Melaka will soon be reaping the benefits of Malaysia’s transition towards endemicity.

The key to this is the country’s move to remove travel restrictions, in line with what many other countries are doing. No pre-departure or on-arrival Covid-19 tests will save travellers time and money.

Complaints about the compulsory purchase of Covid-19 travel insurance have also been listened to, and this pre-condition will cease for tourists entering the country from May 1 onwards.

These new rules are a conscious attempt to get lives back to normal. I hesitate to say we are seeing the tail end of the coronavirus, but history has taught us that these global pandemics usually last for two years and then peter out and resurface from time to time.

We have done all we could these last two years – movement control restrictions, mask mandates, MySejahtera check-ins and a vaccination programme that has successfully inoculated more than 80% of our population.

There is not much more that can be done short of taking harsher measures like what China is doing. But we now know that lockdowns do more harm than good.

We should justifiably be proud of our vaccination efforts, but we have gone past the stage of making vaccinations compulsory. Malaysians have had enough.

Booster jabs for the elderly and those with comorbidities should continue to be part of our national immunisation plan but for most of us, the vaccination programme has come to an end.

Economics will now trump health. Or at least this appears to be the message the government is sending us. The onus is now on the community and individuals to manage and live with Covid-19.

The pandemic has changed our lives irrevocably.

I believe we have become more efficient and effective. Travelling to meetings (and getting stuck in a two-hour jam) is just not viable anymore. For that matter, flying to business meetings doesn’t really make sense when you can flip open a laptop and have a discussion with your colleagues halfway around the world.

The hybrid work culture could soon be the norm for many companies as employers allow more flexibility without productivity being affected.

We have also become a lot more health-conscious because of the pandemic. It’s been medically proven that people who suffer from ailments such as diabetes or high blood pressure are more susceptible and are more affected by the virus.

Keeping fit, staying healthy and watching what you eat will not only lessen the impact of the virus but in the long run help you live longer.

Hari Raya and the “balik kampung” exodus will be the litmus test for the new rules. The timing of the lifting of restrictions is telling because the balik kampung rush has already started.

More people are expected to travel to their hometowns this time around compared with anytime in the last two years, and this is only to be expected as the chance to spend time with their loved ones is important.

But it’s crucial that we do not see a surge in cases. So, don’t let your guard down during this festive season. We should continue to test and self-isolate if there are symptoms. And of course, be sensible and mask up in crowded places.

The writer wishes all Muslim readers a safe and joyous Hari Raya Aidilfitri.