I'm talking about garbage collectors, nurses, doctors, pharmacists, paramedics, police, traffic cops, cashiers, petrol attendants, taxi drivers, truck drivers, radio personalities and deejays, hospital cleaners, media and so many others who continue to make a concerted effort to keep our people safe, informed, educated, entertained, getting access to health facilities as well as all the necessary amenities. While they keep everyone 'company' or ensure they get their lives as close to normal as possible, these selfless people put their own lives in danger in the process. Nothing can show more selflessness than that as some of these people put in long shifts for the benefit of others. These are our heroes and heroines who deserved a lot more credit, especially in such a trying time we find ourselves in.
Through these people and many others, life hasn't been as boring and mundane as it could've been with the Coronavirus outbreak. They continue to play their part and living up to their expectations, delivering on what they swore to undertake when they signed on the dotted line for their jobs. While it looks like people doing their normal jobs, it would have been easy for these people to put in leave requests to be with their loved ones, but they opted to continue with their jobs without any hesitation. When the nation called, they were more than willing to serve and that's commendable! The question is: Are we reciprocating their good deeds by sticking to the guidelines as prescribed by the World Health Organisation and South African government? Are we playing our part to ensure that we curb the potential spread of this virus? An emphatic NO! is an answer to this question. It is astonishing that we continue to see a disappointing increase on the number of confirmed cases of this pandemic instead of experiencing a downward spiral in the numbers. When we went into national lockdown, we had around 500 confirmed cases, but we've since doubled that figure and are on course to triple it before Friday unless we change our attitudes. Football-loving people, the sooner we can kill off this virus, the better we can have our normal lives back. That's the only way to see our favourite sport on television again. That's the only way we can make our favourite trips to the stadium to enjoy the game.
A lot of effort has gone into creating awareness around this pandemic but, sadly and sometimes through ignorance, to some people it has been business as usual. I don't know whether people are waiting to experience this virus in close proximity, with it infecting themselves or someone they know, before they give it the respect it deserves. One infection is one too many. We've been talking about confirmed cases, but what seems to escape many is the fact that confirmed cases are not a true reflection of what we are dealing with here. I'm, in no way, insinuating that the government is misleading or not giving us accurate information. By definition, confirmed cases mean these are the people who have been tested with the results confirming that they'd been infected with the virus. The number of tested people doesn't even represent the population around them, therefore it is unwise to look at the confirmed number of cases and use that to measure the spread of this virus. One infected person is enough to spread the virus around the whole community and therefore everyone who comes into contact with those infected by that one person will then infect everyone they come across and, before you know it, the whole country will be suffering from the Coronavirus. That's a mind-boggling prospect that would have started off with just one person not taking the precautionary measures put in place to ensure that the virus doesn't spread. Let us exercise caution and responsibility for the foreseeable future and that will go a long way in ensuring that we minimise the potential danger.
If we fail to stick to guidelines, then we may as well forget about our domestic football league being back in action anytime soon. You can't be going in the opposite direction with the League and expect to meet them at your destination. The League is doing all they can to curb this virus and if you, as the supporter – an important stakeholder – are not playing your part, then it is pointless to even think of the league resumption. All it takes is for us to do what we have to do for the stipulated period and hopefully defeat this virus so that we can go back to our normal lives. In other words, the more disregard for this virus, the further we are from the resumption of the league season and we will continue to ponder what would have been, had the league continued unabated.
South Africa, we can do this together. In signing off, let me borrow a paragraph from one of the most powerful Michael Jackson songs that couldn't be more appropriate right now, titled Heal The World. "Heal the world. Make it a better place. For you and for me. And the entire human race. There are people dying. If you care enough for the living. Make it a better place. For you and for me."
NB: Our Eastern Cape-based readers, please note that you may get your paper a day late (Thursday), due to limitations with our distribution that have come with the Coronavirus lockdown. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience and hope that the rest of our readers will spread the message to you. Our readers are also encouraged to head to our website for updates on the print edition as well as daily breaking news on Coronavirus and football content, both local and international.
