Last updated on 7th October 2021
We have been running the Covid Live Ticker (www.madeira-weekly.com) since March 28, 2020. If the Government numbers we are working with can be believed, we are doing well. There is no need to speak of pandemic waves for the Island, as we are in the epidemic stage. The pandemic is more firmly rooted in India, Africa and Asia at this time.
We had a bump in the numbers, after the schools reopened; all students and personnel are tested on a regular basis. If a case is found, off you all go to quarantine.
The next bump will be due to the Flower Festival cortege last Sunday. We can always see the result around one week later, and after two weeks, the infected are being kicked off the statistic. Incoming tourists bring it too, from afar as the Island of Guadeloupe, but mostly from the UK and other European countries.
It is by now very difficult for a Covid patient to make it into intensive care. The few of them who end up in the Covid wing, are doing well, and I don’t need to go there to see that the hospital staff is taking excellent care of their patients.
Portugal received praise by the Wall Street Journal recently because 84% of the population are completely vaccinated. The Government did a good job and the population duly followed what President Albuquerque (and the priests in church) said, and got vaccinated. But: add to that a tendency to hysterics, and people are still afraid of the disease.
Even if I were a mathematician, I could not calculate how low the percentage of the probability to catch the virus is on the island: somewhere beneath the soles of our feet, people. Still, an assistant in a dental clinic when I made an appointment for a friend, recalled for me the security measures to be taken. The appointment is for the end of October, so I told her that we could be more relaxed, based on the good numbers we have, whereas she told me that she doesn’t believe the numbers, point.
I think that she is not alone, many people still live in fear of catching the disease. Fear is not a good advisor and this will lead to more ulcers and depression. All this while we are living on a paradise island, with plenty of water, sunshine, nice people, low crime, tolerance, etc… don’t’ get me started.
At some point, when the Government says that we can relax, these afraid souls hopefully adhere to that instruction as well.
Ursula Hahn
info at madeira-weekly.com
