ONE thing is certain about being in the middle of a pandemic and it is that nothing is certain.
Yes, there are signs that things are improving. But come on, it has been more than five months since the world as we know it was turned upside down by an invisible enemy. Of course, there have been developments along the way.
But until a cure or a vaccine for the highly infectious coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is found, we cannot let our guard down.
Nationwide, the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases reported each day has decreased. But, as the Department of Health (DOH) also reported, the number of patients in critical condition has also increased.
Here in Cebu City, once dubbed the epicenter of the novel coronavirus health crisis, the tally is down to single digits. And some people are taking this as a signal to return to their old way of life.
The other night I encountered some grownups -- and by that I mean people who should know better – having a drink by the side of the road.
Most of them weren’t wearing masks. Obviously, since you can’t gulp down a glass of beer with one on. They sounded like they were having a heated discussion. And, of course, none of them practiced social distancing.
Normally, I’d find nothing wrong with this picture. In the past, if one of them had called out to me and offered me a shot, I would have gladly accepted. I may be getting cantankerous as I get older, but rude I am not.
But I didn’t understand what I felt at that very instant.
Part of me was glad to see them doing what they were doing because it meant things were slowly getting back to normal. But another part of me, the one who is aware of the havoc wreaked by the outbreak not only in the Philippines but across the world, was seething.
The scene was a slap on the face of workers who cannot put food on their table because they’re no longer employed. It was an insult to the countless families who have lost loved ones.
No wonder the DOH has refrained from declaring the flattening of the curve because it doesn’t want the public to get complacent and to stop observing minimum health standards.
Apparently, what I witnessed the other night only confirmed the agency’s worst suspicions.
But hey, the people of Cebu City should know better. They have been on this road before back in June. They know what will happen if there’s a resurgence in Covid cases.
And it only takes one.