This week, a neighbour posted on social media that one of their parents had passed away suddenly.

Late last week, we were informed by family members of a senior that they were now in the intensive care unit in a fight for survival.

In the same week, WhatsApp chat group members were asked to pray for a school friend who is also in the ICU.

The common thread being that Bermudians, of all genders and ages, have been stricken with coronavirus.

Fortunately, most have survived.

Unfortunately, thus far, we have lost 27 souls.

Hard choices

No family wish to go through the ordeal of loved ones suffering and dying.

Equally as significant is that there is no government in the world that wants to experience: mass deaths, economic carnage or stalled national development.

So therein lies the ever-delicate balance of putting in policies to save lives while allowing for practices that keep the economy above water.

Around the world, leaders have had to make unpopular decisions.

To our north, Canada has essentially had to close its borders to most persons travelling in. Those that have been allowed in have to abide by the following guidelines:

Federal quarantine applies for travellers entering Canada. If you can enter Canada and you have no symptoms, you must quarantine for a minimum of 14 days.

At this time, you are not excluded from quarantine, even if you have:

• Been vaccinated for Covid-19

• Tested negative for Covid-19

• Recovered from Covid-19

Those travelling to Britain have to follow these regulations:

• Quarantine for ten days (the day you arrive does not count towards your total)

• Take a coronavirus test on Day 2 and Day 8 of quarantining

In the Cayman Islands, those who are immunided have to quarantine for ten days, and those who are not immunised must quarantine for 14 days.

Meanwhile, in the Turks & Caicos Islands, the British governor has put out the following edict:

“The Covid-19 vaccine will be mandatory for residents of the Turks & Caicos on work permits. Persons who [by choice] elect not to receive a Covid-19 vaccine will not have annual work permits renewed and will be required to leave the islands.”

So those questioning the Covid regulations in Bermuda would be hard-pressed to say that these are draconian in comparison with other countries.

Deadly options

For those demanding no regulations, they can look at countries such as Brazil and India.

“Researchers are devastated by the recent surge in cases and say that the Government’s failure to follow science-based guidance in responding to the pandemic has made the crisis much worse. They add that President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration has publicly undermined science while refusing to implement protective national lockdowns.”

Brazil now has a daily Covid death toll of more than 4,000.

In India, the Government allowed for mass gatherings of hundreds of thousands of persons without masks.

The net result is that Indian nationals are going to hospitals in record numbers. Upon their arrival, they are met with the stark reality that there is not enough oxygen to treat patients.

Their daily death toll now exceeds 4,000.

Life or death

One year ago, many people in Bermuda claimed that Covid is fake or no worse than the common flu. Without a doubt, this has proved to be much worse.

This year, persons are upset about regulations put in place, so the salient questions that have to be asked individually and collectively are as follows:

Who among us wants to have a loved one in ICU suffering from Covid?

Even more pointedly, who among us wants to bury a child or parent because of Covid?

Covid is not something to protest over. It is a matter of life and death.

• Christopher Famous is the government MP for Devonshire East (Constituency 11). You can reach him on WhatsApp at 599-0901 or e-mail at carib_pro@yahoo.com