The Covid-19 situation locally became very real this week with the country registering its first two Coronavirus deaths.

Malta watched in shock on Wednesday evening as Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne and Public Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci announced that a 92-year-old woman had become the first person to die as a result of the virus in Malta.

Many felt, until that point, that we were fortunate, since there had been no fatalities a month after Malta registered its first case – but that ‘lucky’ streak ended on Wednesday night. A few hours later, another person died in hospital – an 80-year-old man who, like the Gozitan woman, was someone’s relative and friend.

Perhaps what is more shocking than these first two deaths is the surreal fact that, within the same 24-hour period that these fatalities were announced, 38 people were fined for breaching the 3-person rule.

Yes, 38 people completely disregarded the law introduced last week banning gatherings of more than three people – a law that is intended solely to slow down the spread of Covid-19, which, as we have seen, can be fatal to elderly people who are already suffering from a number of medical conditions.

Also on Thursday, an establishment owner was fined for failing to observe the catering industry shut-down, which was imposed more than three weeks ago.

Four people were fined for breaking the 3-person rule on Wednesday, and two establishment owners were also made to pay €3,000 each for serving clients.

The day begore, 8 persons were fined. On Monday, 35 people were fined €100 each, while another establishment owner was fined €3,000. And those are just the numbers for this week.

The selfishness of some people knows no bounds. The three-person rule is not just advice, it is law, punishable by a fine. But it seems that, for some people, the threat of a fine is not a good enough deterrent.

And this is not just about avoiding being in groups of four or more. Some people are still not following social distancing rules when shopping at the supermarket, for example. Others are still ignoring public health advice and going out needlessly. Many are still visiting their families and friends, despite long-standing advice to avoid mixing with people who do not live in the same household.

The authorities are doing everything they can to stop the spread and keep the curve as low as possible. Measures have been taken for every aspect of life: schools are closed, bars and restaurants too. Rules have been laid out for public transport users. Hospital and elderly home visits have been stopped, and measures have been taken to minimise the risk of Covid-19 entering the prison.

Yet some people still do not seem do understand the gravity of the situation we find ourselves in and keep on breaking the rules and ignoring advice.

Two people have died now and, unfortunately, more will die in the coming weeks and months. Deaths are unavoidable – this is something that is simply beyond our control. The number of virus transmissions, however, is something that we can control, through discipline, patience and self-control.

Let us hope that the shocking news we had this week serves as an eye-opener to all, and that those people who have so far been too stubborn and selfish to observe the rules will join the rest of us and start doing their part too.