On this date last year, we had a report about Iliana Rasuwaqa and Yvonne Bale. They lived very far from each other.
However, they shared a similar scenario. They were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In fact, come to think of it, no one was immune to the negative impact of the virus.
Ms Rasuwaqa used to work at a resort at Momi Bay before she was temporarily sent home for three months since early March last year. She was a housekeeping attendant, a mother of three, and providing for her family had been a real struggle.
When she left work in March last year, she was given her sick leave pay from January to March and her final pay that week. At the time, her family was dependent on farming and fishing, and hoped to sell cassava and fish the next week. Ms Bale, an expectant mother, watched over her husband as he fished along the Nasese foreshore in Suva the previous day.
They were one of many families who were out at sea looking for food. Her husband was a casual worker at a prominent hotel in Suva and he was laid off more than a month ago because business was slow because of COVID-19. They were real stories of people affected by the pandemic.
So when the Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama yesterday announced measures to keep us safe from the virus, it brought back memories. We are at war with a virus that is keeping scientists and health experts on their toes. Let’s face it. This is no joke. The only way the virus will spread is if we carry it and assist it to spread.
That’s why we must stay at home, stop hand shakes, stop hugging others, and sneeze or cough into our elbows, or into a tissue and dispose these thoughtfully immediately. Adhere strictly to social distancing rules and wash your hands with soap and water often, or use a hand sanitiser. We must be part of the solution.
We have also proven that we can unite to fight the virus, and once again, become COVID-contained. At this time last year, many of us were scared. We stared at a blank wall because we did not truly understand the virus. The world was in a state of panic as the virus killed thousands of people.
It stretched across all borders, discarding every imaginary demarcation line. It did not matter who you were.
The virus could affect you. Again we revisit that situation. Again we are reminded about the importance of social distancing.
We are reminded about the importance of being proactive and vigilant.
Let’s stay focused. Let’s do what is right!
We have been warned.
