It seems that the activities which annoy and disturb most Maltese people – except, of course, those who benefit from them or enjoy them – are the only ones that have not been hit by the Coronavirus pandemic.

For the past two months, everyone has had to adapt to new ways of life. The guidelines issued by the health authorities have affected each and every one of us. We can no longer congregate in groups of more than four (until two weeks ago it was groups of three); we have had to give up our social life for an indeterminate period; people who have been labelled as vulnerable have been asked to stay indoors and are frowned upon if they go to buy necessities like milk and bread; we have now been requested to wear masks if we go inside a shop or use public transport.

This is not all. Many have lost their jobs; others are working reduced hours or have experienced a pay-cut. Many workers have had to get used to working from home. Businesses have lost income from retail, and many companies are struggling to survive in an economy that has shrivelled and, in the words of the European Union, is suffering a blow of historical proportions.

But, when we write “everyone” we know that there are some pockets of our society and community that has not seen a change.

It started with the construction industry, which was given the all-clear to continue excavating and digging next to other buildings where poor residents were confined for longer hours than usual, given the situation related to the pandemic. The terrible noise which causes so much inconvenience continued unabated, disturbing whole neighbourhoods already suffering from extra anxiety because of the surreal period we are living.

Then it continued with the hunters. The rest of us had to give up activities we enjoyed, be they a visit to the gym, an outing with relatives not living in the same household, dinner with work colleagues, a drink or two with a friend. We were even discouraged from visiting our elderly mothers and fathers, those blessed enough to still have them, or spend an hour near a loved one in hospital. The hunters, however, were allowed to roam free shooting at innocent creatures, with some of them breaking the law as police officers were overstretched into doing other duties related to the Coronavirus.

And now it is the turn of the fireworks enthusiasts. There will be no feasts, as we have long known after the Church immediately announced the cancellation of external celebrations for the whole of 2020. But, even without feasts, there will be fireworks. The government announced last week that fireworks will still be let off in villages during the week when, normally, feasts are being celebrated. Thing is, there will be no feast for the common mortals, and yet they will have to endure the loud bangs anyway.

At a time when we still do not know whether there will be restrictions concerning lidos and beaches, and when we already know that the lovelier parts of our feasts will not take place, fireworks enthusiasts can continue producing their wares to their heart’s content, knowing they will be able to disturb the rest of the population, possibly still stuck in their homes.

Yes, there are some who are more equal than others.