The Story Within The Story… It can never be normal again!

May 03, 2020 Features / Columnists, News, The Story within the Story

---

By Leonard Gildarie

Life as we know it can never be normal again. The world was chugging merrily along with civil wars, hunger, the growth of giants like Amazon and Google, and of course, China. Corruption and mega-deals have been thrown to the backburners. Routine stuff to fill air time for television.
The trade wars began in earnest with one of the most unpredictable man in the world, US President Donald Trump, declaring an economic war on China and its dominance.
The Coronavirus pandemic has truly presented Trump with what he believes is a legitimate opportunity to punish China for bringing the pandemic on the world. Judging from his past actions, there can be little questions that Trump will act, or at the very least present actions.
At this time, worldwide, the figures for COVID-19 are deeply troubling…3.34 million tested positive; 1 million recovered and almost 240,000 dead from the virus.
The bad news does not end there. World Health Organization’s (WHO) Europe Director, Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, has warned that countries need to prepare for a “second or third wave” of COVID-19.
Kaieteur News reported yesterday that WHO is warning that until a vaccine is developed, countries must expect another hit by the virus.
“If the first wave is gone…we have bought the time to prepare for a second or third wave, particularly if there is no vaccine…It was vital for countries to prepare for future outbreaks once the first peak had been reached,” Dr. Kluge said during a virtual media briefing.
WHO’s Director General, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, reportedly was even more straight up… “people want to get on with their lives because their life and livelihoods are at stake and that’s what WHO wants too and that’s what we are working for everyday. But the world cannot and will not go back to the way things were. There must be a new normal, a world that is healthier, safer and better prepared.”
The figures are grim for the US…1.13 million cases with almost 67,000 deaths. New York will hit home for Guyanese. Thousands of our relatives live there. Scores of them are dead from the pandemic. New York has 308,000 cases with almost 17,000 deaths.
The US is struggling. It accounts for a third of all the cases in the world.
In Guyana, authorities have announced the continuation of the curfew by another month.
The crunch will become even more pronounced in the coming weeks for Guyanese.
Public servants will continue to receive their salaries.
It is the self-employed, the dependents on overseas remittances, the farmers and others who kept the wheel turning that are suffering.
There is bleakness and a deep sense of despair by our people who are staring at monthly bills, loans and mortgages and other fallouts.
We interviewed the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Private Enterprise Development a few days ago. There is bad news and there is some good news.
That entity is estimating that below 25 percent of its customers will be unable to restart their businesses. These are small businesses we are talking about. It is a hard pill to swallow.
It is generally accepted that small businesses are the backbone of the economy.
IPED is taking actions to introduce an intervention programme that will allow some relief to its customers.
The commercial banks are working a menu of relief also. I expect in the coming days we can hear of them.
What is instructional to note, is that we can have no respite in the coming days.
It will be crunch time indeed. Many self-employed who depend on the daily grind to put food on table will find it tough.
We are hearing stories of quite a few landlords who are demanding the rent without any kind of conscience. There is very little that can be done except we appeal for conscience to play a role.
Our mental health will take a beating. There is deep stress on now.
We are simple people. The elections, with its unending storyline, is far from over. We have at least another month before a new president can be announced. That is presuming no objections, hurdles, court cases or whatever.
Our people are not lazy. They are not stay-at-home people. It is tough being forced to stay home and unable to open your businesses.
The Task Force, headed by Joseph Harmon, has indicated that it has a plan. Already, in a limited way, the Civil Defence Commission has started delivering relief supplies to persons with disabilities. Some of the resources are coming from Exxonmobil and the other oil companies.
One of the biggest challenges will be finding resources. I have no problem with oil companies chipping in. The problem is that we will have to eventually pay back for it.
As our frontline workers, including the doctors, nurses, porters, cleaners, cooks, and administrators continue to battle, there are other thousands of unsung heroes who are playing their part.
There are doctors’ groups at work, behind the scenes. They are finding supplies for their colleagues.
There is a quiet movement which speaks volumes of the growing maturity by our people.
While our politicians play games, there is real struggle in the trenches.
The coming days will test our mettle. It is far from over. The full effects, the economic fallouts, are still to be experienced.
If WHO is to be believed, we have to steel ourselves for a world that is not normal.
I have taken a lot of things for granted. The greens stand at the corner. Going to mall. A movie on the weekend. A visit to the supermarket or the fisheries wharf.
Our lives have been shattered.
A second and third wave will be unthinkable for us. But the realities are there.
Our people will have to remain strong and understand nothing is normal anymore.
Buckle up!

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)

---

---