Five years have passed since the first case of COVID-19 was recorded in the Maltese islands. On this day, 7 March, in 2020, it was announced that a 12-year-old Italian girl was diagnosed with the mysterious coronavirus that had already brought some foreign healthcare systems to its knees: COVID-19.

Malta's Health Minister at the time, Chris Fearne, announced that the coronavirus had entered the Maltese islands after the Italian pre-teen tested positive after returning home from a trip to Trentino, Italy. The girl and her family, who were all residents in Malta, were immediately told to self-quarantine within their home. It soon became apparent that her parents were also infected with the unknown virus.

Through this announcement, it had become apparent that this coronavirus would not result in health complications for 80% of all cases, though elderly people and persons with chronic illnesses had a higher risk of complications. Health superintendent Charmaine Gauci had also said that the COVID-19 virus had a mortality rate of around 2% at this time.

COVID-19 quickly spread throughout the Maltese islands. More cases were registered and it was immediately realised that the disease would not go away quickly.

Three days after the announcement of the first COVID-19 case locally, the Maltese government - which was under new leadership, as Robert Abela had been sworn in as new Maltese Prime Minister less than two months prior - announced a month-long shutdown of all schools and services.

The World Health Organization (WHO) proceeded to declare the COVID-19 outbreak as a global pandemic just four days later, on 11 March 2020, during a news briefing.

Exactly one month after the first registered case was announced, Malta experienced its first significant spike in cases recorded: 52 new cases were announced on 7 April 2020. The previous daily high up until that point was just 19.

The following day, on 8 April 2020, the first COVID-19 fatality was registered in the Maltese islands. She was a 92-year-old Gozitan woman with several underlying conditions, according to reports.

The second COVID-19 fatality occurred less than 24 hours later, as a 79-year-old man passed away overnight. He also had underlying health issues. The third COVID-19 related death in the Maltese islands then followed just two days later, on 11 April 2020. He was an 83-year-old senior citizen.

Soon enough, the pandemic had suddenly changed everyone's lives. The age of a "new normal" swooped in, supermarket shelves were being raked off as people feared for the worst, and all social life was suddenly forced to shift to the side.

Thus, appreciation for the digital age grew as all schools, workplaces, and social contacts were conducted remotely or in limited-sized groups, adhering to social distancing, with everyone wearing a face mask. Lest we forget the daily press conferences updating the public on the virus' developments, featuring both Chris Fearne and Prof. Charmaine Gauci wearing their face masks on live television.

Just under three months after the first COVID-19 case was announced in Malta, on 1 June 2020, Chris Fearne announced that "Malta won the war against COVID-19," as TVM News reported.

By that point, Malta had experienced nine Covid-related deaths and 619 total cases - 73 of which were still active cases. More importantly, new cases were rising by not more than a handful per day, at worst, for a full week.

Regrettably, Fearne's comments aged like milk.

As we know today through hindsight, this announcement was made prematurely before the major case spikes occurred. By mid-October that same year, just four months later, observing the number of new daily cases rise to triple digits became a regularity. The number of daily cases only truly returned back to double digits in late March 2021.

By 6 March 2021, there had been 321 Covid-related deaths and 3,403 active cases at the time.

Five years on, the Maltese islands have registered 904 Covid-related deaths and 123,258 total cases (and counting).

Fortunately, vaccines against the virus began rolling out for the Maltese public less than a year after the first case was recorded, as the road back to normality started being paved.

In hindsight, for those who were privileged enough not to lose a loved one, the memories of DIY haircuts and/or letting one's hair grow loose are what remain from that strange time "trapped" indoors. For those not so fortunate however, the COVID-19 pandemic serves as a brutal reminder of the fragility of life, and that things can change in an instance.