2020–Two

The year 2021 is only three days away from ending, giving life to 2022 as our planet completes yet another revolution round the sun. A journey it started many months ago. As the year comes to an end, people are looking forward to the new year with hope hinged on great expectations and accompanied by plans and resolutions, a new year where tourists can travel freely without restrictions, a new year where GDP is higher and inflation lower.

Since the emergence of the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus, the world has been thrown into a state of caution and panic. Some days ago, during a local evening news, I had overhead the reporter saying that while the Omicron variant isn’t as deadly, it spreads much faster. Thus, the rate of infection has increased dramatically.

Earlier this evening, I read that France plans to enforce more restrictions as from January 2022 following a high number of new COVID-19 cases on Christmas day. This news had prompted to to ask my sister who was with me at that time. “What if next year is another 2020?” And she replied “God forbid”. That was how I decided what I’d write about and also the title of the article.

Despite the discovery of COVID late in the year 2019, it wasn’t until 2020 the world felt the impact of the virus, and it was tagged a pandemic. The rate it was spreading had prompted many countries to go into lockdown in 2020 to curb the spread and contain the virus, there seemed to have been a global economic standstill during the period of the lockdown as countries were losing millions daily. It wasn’t until the second half of the year many countries eased the lockdown to salvage all they could from the wrecked economy.

2021 came, and with the discovery of the vaccine, there was a breath of fresh air for human population as a whole. Though, many people are yet to be vaccinated (myself included). The vaccine had eased what seems to be a global burden. But with the Omicron variant in the air, a lot of people are getting vaccinated and countries like Israel have even opted to give a third dose of the vaccine to her people.

At the rate the new variant is spreading, countries might be forced to enforce restrictions and even go on lockdown in 2022. The real question is: CAN COUNTRIES SURVIVE ANOTHER LOCKDOWN? Considering they have barely recovered from the last one. I suppose before such a decision is taken by any country, Economists as well as analysts will be called upon by the government of such country to for advice and surely the best course of action for the people will be taken.

Personally, I look forward to a better new year. With the vaccine, I believe there is hope, and the world would heal from the wound inflicted by the COVID-19 and all these hard times will soon be history, one that has taught us a valuable lesson we will never forget. I expect many countries still recovering from the effect of the lockdown on their economy to bounce back this coming year and flourish. I expect borders to be open freely to anyone who wants to come in.

2022 will not be another 2020 but instead, the end of this tragicomedy which started in 2020.

CONCLUSION

We all have a part to play in this global movie, as we are all members of the cast crew. This coming year, I plan to get vaccinated, and I strongly advise that those yet to receive the COVID-19 vaccine should get vaccinated as soon as possible and observe safety measures already in place. I believe that this will help bring an end to this movie once and for all.

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