We are now close to the third week of the city’s enhanced community quarantine and people are looking forward to its lifting, hoping that something good has come out of their staying at home. Venting their anxiety on social media, many long to see their offices, their schools, and even the blooming of the bougainvillea that line the MacArthur Highway in the summer.
Since only one Food and Medicine pass is allowed for each family, we can only imagine how many young and old people, employees who work at home, and those who need to eke out a living on a daily basis, desire to once again resume their activities pre-COVID-19. But things are still uncertain. What we know is that if ever the ECQ will be lifted, we have to tread slowly and maintain the health precautions we practice now, to never be complacent lest the virus starts another cycle of infection.
So as we try to contribute to stop the spread of COVID-19 by staying at home, there are others who still try to take advantage of our difficult situation. In a police report, two people were found to be selling infrared thermometers, more than twice its retail price. Government agencies have repeatedly warned vendors to refrain from overpricing commodities at this time, but the lure of fast and easy money is, for some people, hard to resist.
We are facing difficult times ahead. The global economy is limping as a result of the virus and some economists predict a dire future ahead for almost all countries hit by COVID 19. Now is not the time to profit from people’s anxiety and misery. If we have to fight this global pandemic and lessen our suffering, we should do it together in solidarity and compassion.
