It's hard to believe that its been just over 100 days since Malta had its first Covid-19 case. It feels like much more time has passed.

The country has passed through a lot, and the way of life has certainly changed.

Comparing a time before Covid-19 to now, much has changed. A few months ago, people would have thought it strange seeing a person wearing a mask in the street, and seeing someone wearing a mask in a store would have raised security concerns. Fast forward to now, and people look at those not wearing masks in stores with concern, not to mention that it would be counter to regulations.

People use to love travelling. A yearly getaway for families, a business trip for others, or just a weekend voyage to Sicily were the norm. Now, people cannot fly as the airport is shut, and even when it opens, many won’t travel for a while.

But the impact of Covid-19 hit society at a far more basic core than that. The standard greeting, a handshake, a hug between friends, a kiss on the cheek… gone, at least for now. One questions whether society will return to those norms, and if yes, how long it will take. The virus caused a distrust between people which many didn’t think was possible.

Society is built on human contact, and indeed as human beings, we all need it for our psychological and emotional well-being. The elderly have been the most cut off. Some have died without being able to hold their loved ones’ hands for weeks prior. A sad ordeal indeed.

Social norms have been redefined. The virus is still out there yes, and a vaccine will eventually be found. But till then, will those once norms re-emerge, or not? What about after a vaccine is made available, will people still be distrustful and cautious?

The Prime Minister has announced that the public health emergency is being withdrawn, what impact will this have?

These questions will eventually all have answers.

But the virus has also resulted in families spending more time together, perhaps experiencing tighter bonds.

People have discovered what working from home would be like, with both the good and bad aspects of it. Will this continue? Will it be a new form of work generally adopted?

It has resulted in people understanding the value of nature, exploring the countryside and finding new parts of the country which they had, up to this point, perhaps not seen.

The virus has indeed changed things. The question remains, what changes would we want to keep, and what changes would we want to revert?

This newsroom has said before that the government needs to make changes to further protect the environment, especially now that so many have discovered its beauty. But perhaps the people also need to make some changes.

Being apart from elderly relatives for example has meant that the loneliness they felt multiplied. Perhaps some can make the extra effort to visit more often? Discovering the importance of more family time could lead to more working parent spending quality time together and with their children.

The government is trying to restart the economy, but restarting society will not be as easy. People are still frightened, and perhaps some changes emanating from this period could even be for the better.