The realities of life are in many instances different from the idealistic ones. Sometimes a person comes upon a crossroad and has to choose which road to take. A choice is made, hoping that it’s the right one, at least the individual does believe that they took the right road.

At present we in our Islands also have to decide how to choose the way forward. We have to choose between our National Health versus our Economy. How are we going to decide on this double edged most important decision? How and in what way are we going to decide between our Health and our Economy?

Without good health, people will die. Without financial means people will die of hunger.

Our leaders have to find a way of balancing the two together. So let’s review these choices.

Honeymoon Analogy

Let us take as an example a couple on a honeymoon, they will be oblivious of anything and anyone and their hormones’ will be working overtime. They will perhaps spend a whole month on honeymoon, their gifts of money will make up for their expenses. That is whilst they last.

After the honeymoon, money will be required to buy food, pay the rent or mortgage. If this couple still have their jobs available, life will continue as normal.

But, and this is a big but, what happens if this couple find their place of work closed? What if their income shrinks to nothing? Which way will this couple take at this crossroad?

The same points also apply to married couples with children. What will happen if schools remain closed? Who will look after the children especially for working parents? This issue will add another dilemma, from where will the family earnings come? In the former years the extended family would have looked after the children, but it has passed this scope in today’s world.

What will also happen if workplaces are closed and no work is available? Unemployment will rear its ugly head as it did in former years. There will then be no monies available to these parents and the general public.

Government’s Financial Help

The Government has provided up until now millions in financial assistance and aid to both large and small industries as well as workers, in order to alleviate some of their financial and employment problems.

The question for the future is “How long can this financial assistance go on for?” Tomorrow or the day after the day after, this financial well will finally dry up. Then what happens?

Therefore the authorities have to choose the correct road at these crossroads through which to proceed.

The health services are crucial and necessary for one and all. To keep an efficient health system running one needs huge financial input, millions upon millions. Necessary – required and being up to date till the present time.

Everyone involved is doing excellent work, but the dilemma is between those who say that health must come first, which is right, and those who say that without monies there is no honey, which is also right.

So the million dollar question comes to the fore once again.

Tourism

For our islands tourism is the essential aspect for our financial survival. Malta depends on foreign tourism, whilst Gozo depends more on internal tourism from the mainland. The Maltese visiting Gozo are the best tourists that Gozo enjoys. Hotels – Farmhouses – Apartments and Restaurants, especially at this time of year, are full of our friends, the Maltese.

If it wasn’t for the Maltese crossing over, Gozo businesses would have closed or be bankrupted. Workers would have been dismissed and faced a financial holocaust. Whilst Shops, etc were closed the Government financial assistance kept the workers income coming and the shop’s head above water.

What is needed is for these Mass Activities to be prohibited. One cannot imagine at the Youth Entertainment Area, ages varying from sixteen to early thirties, not communicating physically with the opposite sex.

Feasts and large entertainment places/parties are extremely problematic and should be disallowed/stopped immediately.

If one considers that those catching the virus mainly come from such activities, excluding St George’s Feast in Gozo, where numerous people attended the feast both from Gozo and Malta, but no case of this virus was reported, it is simply common sense to prohibit such activities until further notice.

It will be of great interest for Gozitans to be informed of how many cases there actually are in Gozo. Statistics should be fully published for both the Gozo and Malta Regions. The general public will then be more conscious of were it is safe to visit.

Health vs Finances

So with a will and much common sense, a way forward can be found between the financial aspects and also our National Health Issues.

But as the sayings goes, “Common Sense is not So Common.” The Crossroads divert to four different directions. Caution – Prudence – Common Sense and Collective Agreement, they are all needed to guide our leaders forward in the right direction.

Lino DeBono,

Gozo.

Photo supplied by author