The restriction of businesses is a painful but necessary measure as the pandemic response strategy enters a critical period. In the middle of the Covid-19 crisis, authorities must walk a tightrope to limit public interaction while keeping the economic engine warmed up.
The debate over which services are essential or not is unlikely to find national consensus, if the outcry that followed the closure of hair salons is anything to go by, but the government appears to have drawn the line at businesses that either carry low contagion risks, or that provide basic family needs, like supermarkets.
At this point, gratitude is due to the hundreds of employees working on overdrive in food retail and supply, transportation, pharmacies, waste management, banking, fuel stations and many other sectors.
This in no way diminishes the contribution of other businesses and sectors to the country’s welfare and success but, as the urgency for people to stay indoors grows, priority is justifiably given to companies that support the daily subsistence of households.
In this context, one cannot but question the wisdom of allowing the construction industry to operate as normal. It is clear that the property market has hit a brick wall, as several real estate agencies are ready to acknowledge. So, the rush to carry on with building projects when the country is focused on flattening the virus curve, is rather perplexing.
It is counterintuitive to turn a blind eye to the clouds of dust rising from building sites while we are battling the outbreak of a vicious respiratory disease.
It is counterintuitive to disregard the occupational risk potential of the industry at a time when healthcare services are already overstretched.
It is counterintuitive to let heavy works go ahead when many people, and the most vulnerable in particular, are spending their days inside their homes.
Other countries acted quickly to ban all building works except for select major and needed projects. It is time for authorities in Malta to rein in the construction bulldozer or risk demolishing the sterling job being done in the healthcare department.
