Over the past few weeks the situation with regard to the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in Malta has improved tremendously.

In March, we reached a peak of having more than 500 cases registered in one single day, the number of people in hospital was high and we had deaths recorded every single day.

But as the vaccination campaign which had started in December moved on and more and more people got the jab, matters improved greatly. Now, two months later, the number of new cases has dropped to single digits, we have not had a death in more than two weeks and the stress on the hospitals has greatly declined.

The government has been very careful these past months in the way it dealt with the pandemic. It understood that last year, when we had the first wave of the virus, it moved too quickly to ease the restrictions that had been imposed, and we were hit by a stronger second wave that was hard to beat.

This time, the relaxation of the measures has been more gradual, with the government and the health authorities taking a more cautious approach. Every two weeks or so, announcements are made as to what restrictions will be removed so as to enable all the stakeholders involved to be able to plan.

The situation has improved so much that the health authorities – Minister Chris Fearne and Superintendent Charmaine Gauci – are confident enough to speak about the possibility of vaccinated people being allowed to be in public without masks. The idea is for this to happen on 1 July, but Fearne made it clear that this will only happen if the numbers remain well under control until then.

Wearing masks was probably the hardest measure for most of us. It is inconvenient, and will be more so in summer, with the high temperatures Malta tends to experience. So their removal will be a welcome change.

However, it must be said that the wearing of masks has been instrumental in the containment of the disease. They have protected us and those around us, and although it was a sacrifice to wear them – and unfortunately there were many who disobeyed the rules or wore the masks incorrectly – we must admit that it was the right decision to be forced to wear them in public places.

Yet, even here, it is good to note that the restrictions with regard to masks are being eased gradually. As from 1 July, it is only people who are fully vaccinated and in the company of just another person in public who can be without a mask. Wearing one will remain obligatory in closed public places and in groups of three or more persons.

It will be a slow return to normality, Fearne explained, but at least now we know that we are on the way there. We must still remain wary and not take unnecessary risks. It will take little to re-ignite the virus’ presence and spread the disease far and wide again.

So we must continue to abide by the regulations, in the hope that some time in the near future Covid-19 will be part of history.