After a torrid 2020, let’s pray for a gentler 2021

As far as years go, 2020 is not one that will go down with fond memories. Yet, it will probably be the year we will be talking about for years to come.

From the moment the first case of the coronavirus was detected in SA in early March, our lives would never be the same. We had noted infections striking in China, Europe and then the United States in early 2020 and then once it was confirmed that Covid-19 had made its way to Hilton in KwaZulu-Natal, it only really hit home. No country was spared from its reach.

So little was known about the virus. How would it affect me, my family? Would our health facilities be adequate enough to cope with an influx of infections? Did our health workers possess the necessary skills to deal with something so scary? Did we have enough doctors?

So many questions, so few answers. Everyone had their own opinion and conspiracy theorists had a field day as to why the world had to deal with the pandemic. It just added to the confusion.

By the end of March, President Cyril Ramaphosa had put the country into a hard lockdown. Unless you offered an essential service, you were not permitted to leave your house, with the exception of getting food. Schools were closed, borders shut, businesses left reeling.

Alcohol was prohibited, the sale of tobacco products forbidden, curfews were enforced. Months went by. Millions of jobs were lost, the economy tanked and fear ran amok. Other bizarre restrictions like the sale of open-toe shoes was not allowed, people could go to malls but not to church. A frenzy of court cases followed, but they never amounted to anything. We lost loved ones to the pandemic. More lives will be lost.

Wear a mask, sanitise and wash your hands and maintain social distancing was the call. The president’s “family meetings” became more regular, each time tweaking the regulations until we were all allowed to return to the “new normal”.

But, in the dark, there was a flicker of light. Most families were given the opportunity to spend quality time together. People walking in the streets early in the morning was a common sight, parents had to find ways to “home school” their children. Some businesses reinvented themselves. Others found a way to give back to their communities with their skills. People were generous.

Towards the end of the year, it seemed as though we were getting back into the swing of it. Then, in the president’s final family meeting of the year, just days after Christmas, he dropped a bombshell. Due to a surge in infections in the midst of a second wave, we would drop to Level 3, having grown accustomed to life in Level 1.

Beaches were closed, alcohol was prohibited, the curfew was extended, bars and restaurants – having just picked themselves up for the festive period – were hit with new restrictions again.

The reality is that even with the hope of a vaccine around the corner, the pandemic is here to stay. Third, fourth and fifth waves will probably strike.

So, we can end the year hoping for more tolerance between our cosmopolitan people, perhaps a Springbok series victory over the British & Irish Lions on home soil – if the tour happens – and that Eskom finally gets its act together. But let’s be realistic and pray 2021 is more gentle on us.

We thank each and every one of our loyal readers for their support, our advertisers for their commitment and our staff for the bravery and hard work they put in each day. This has been a trying year, but we vow to give our readers the best we can give in 2021 and beyond.

May you and your family have a prosperous new year. Stay safe.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.