As 2020 was drawing to a close, we were hoping that the end of the year would also see a linked ending to the virus that has caused so much damage and stress to the Thai economy and to Thai people in general.
We are looking ahead, however, into a tsunami that is the second wave of infections. A second wave seems to be spreading quickly and bring with it a possible new and more dangerous strain of the virus.
Looking back to March when the first wave hit, the Thai government acted very quickly in shutting down the country. Very strict, some may say draconian, rules and regulations were put in place. Many of these are still in place as we are still under an Emergency Decree. The number of infections and the death toll was kept very low when compare to the rest of the world. Whether this was good planning, luck or a combination of both, I guess we will never really know. I am in two minds when it comes to looking at the published data as so few people were actually tested for the virus. How much of the released data is 100% accurate and how much is public relations we will never know and I don’t really know if it’s important. The fact is that the Covid 19 is here and the second wave tsunami is about to crash down on us is. What we don’t know is the force that will come with this wave. The country is already suffering with the tourist industry facing near collapse and millions of people either un or under employed. The overall poverty figures show that the level of poverty has increased for the first time in ages.
The outlook for 2021 seems a little dimmed. We are looking at reintroduced regulations, gatherings and large parties being banned and a possible country wide lockdown being imposed again.
Hopefully the authorities can be as successful as they were earlier in the year and the second wave tsunami will cause little increased damage to a country and its people who are already in pain. Let us all hope so.
None of us can be afford to be complacent. After all, wearing face mask, using hand gel and keeping your distance is not difficult. It has become part of my daily life and whether I like it or not doesn’t really matter to me. The big picture is what matters not a minor containment of my individual freedoms.
I hope that 2021 will be a good year for everyone and the second wave will be quickly and successfully controlled. Let’s adhere to the “new normal” way of living so that we don’t have to exposed to a new “new normal” in the coming weeks.
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