Stay positive amid the panic

Wendy Hawking’s speedy recovery is a testament of the high quality of medical care provided in the UAE. While she expressed deep gratitude to the medical fraternity and the authorities she also cautioned us into not taking things lightly (“Tourist thanks UAE for Covid-19 recovery,” April 2, Gulf Today).

The UAE has been tackling the pandemic on a war footing, because obviously there is no other way out but imposing tough measures like social distancing and restrictions on moving out of our homes. With global cases mounting daily it poses a huge threat to humanity. But we can win the battle if we rise up to the challenge and cooperate with the health authorities and adhere to their guidelines and stipulations. The government has been putting in place various measures from time to time to curb the spread of the virus. Some of the measures are inconveniencing us greatly but for the drives to be successful, our cooperation is of prime importance. From extending the disinfection programme, to tightening restrictions on the movement of people and vehicles, to wearing of masks being made mandatory, the government has been leaving no stone unturned in preventing the spread of COVID-19.  

The positive outcome of all this is that UAE has a very low rate of infections compared to other countries. The government authorities have also acknowledged that citizens and residents by far have been cooperative. We need to continue doing so.

We all understand that there is massive pressure on healthcare services, which means that we need to be extra careful with our hygiene. The other fallout of the pandemic is uncertainty. Uncertainty over when our lives will return to normal. How safe our jobs will be in the months to come, etc, etc. But let us not allow fear to get the better of us. This is a global battle and we are all in it together. They say tough times don’t last, tough people do. So yes, we will see this through.

Carmen R — By email