It is hard to believe that two years have gone by since the first case of Covid-19 was detected in Malta.

To many, it feels as though the last two years were a nightmare. Shops were closed for periods of time, as were restaurants, bars, gyms, social gatherings weren’t allowed… There were even times when we were only allowed outside in groups of two!

So many lives have been lost during the pandemic, and so many have had close calls. It hasn’t been easy.

We seem to be going through a good patch now, with countries easing restrictions. There are still warnings not to take things too easy however. Covid will most likely be with us long-term, like the flu, and we hope it will be in a far less deadly form. Keeping up the vaccine intake through boosters will likely be key to keeping numbers low.

We must also not relax too much to the point that we end up seeing another resurgence and the authorities must be on top of such things, remain quick to react. One questions whether political mass rallies are truly in the interest of all for instance.

What we must deal with now are the economic impacts. Tourism, one of Malta’s main economic sectors, was badly impacted over the past two years. Indeed Air Malta is in serious trouble. There is a chance to save the airline and the government seems to be working towards that goal, but it is not a given that it will succeed.

Other businesses related to tourism are also suffering. One could, for instance, mention travel agents and cruises. Local businesses in other sectors are also still recovering, after all with fewer tourists, they had fewer people to sell too.

Aside from this, prices on basic goods, such as food, rose and are still likely to rise further, especially now with the war in Ukraine.

The world as we know it is changing, for the worse. We must be ready to tackle all these problems. Government mitigating the impact is one such important step but, in order to truly meet the challenges of today’s world, the country needs to adapt. The cost of living needs to be a main point tackled by the next government, otherwise people will end up falling behind.

The pandemic brought with it many changes, some of which are worth holding on to, such as working from home. This gives people more time to spend with their family and results in less time wasted in traffic. Companies able to have employees work from home should allow such an option to remain.

We have also learnt the importance of keeping in touch with our elderly family members. Something which we should not forget to do just because the Covid situation seems under control.

Covid is still with us and has not magically disappeared, but we are currently in a stable period, and we hope that this can be maintained.