Curfew can go, but masks should stay

While it may still be early days in assessing whether or not the Covid omicron variant is really the beginning of the pandemic, it does seem as though South Africa is moving towards easing the restrictions we have lived with since March last year.

More of more voices are being raised about the continuing imposition of the curfew – currently it is from midnight to 4am – because, experts confirm, it does little to impede the spread of the most infectious variant by far.

Opening up would allow bars and restaurants to increase their turnover and, while that would undoubtedly increase transmission, perhaps that is a price we should be prepared to pay to begin to resume our “normal” lives.

Of far more importance, though, is personal responsibility. Omicron is passed on through the air. That is why continuing to wear masks and to keep our social distance is so crucial in reducing the risk, both to ourselves and to others.

And, even though omicron has proved adept at evading some vaccine protection, there is still no doubt that getting jabbed protects against the worst disease. Who wouldn’t want as much protection as possible? Covid is not over. It can still kill you.

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