Fr. Leo C. Pabayo.
DURING this time of crisis, many of us have to do are asked to do the things that need to be done according to the talents we have to address this crisis. There are scientists now, working overtime to find a remedy for this pandemic. Some doctors and nurses work day and night even at risk to themselves to do some testing or attend to people who are sick. So are the government officials taking the lead in doing what needs to be done to win this war against this virus together with the people working under them? The various media workers are updating us on the progress of the work being done to find the cure to this disease, the opinion-makers advising all of us on how to keep safe, the lowly workers in hospitals and government institutions to continue doing the basic services for health and hygiene, etc…. Many of us are all being called to come together and join the ranks of fighting this war.
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The fight against the Coronavirus pandemic has to be done in two ways – the spiritual and the physical (or material). The physical or material is mainly the competence of those in the medical profession and government officials. The spiritual is mainly the competence of the people in religion and spirituality.
The bigger task of the government is to manage or direct the activities of the citizens related to the fight against the pandemic. They do this in local communities and the nation at large.
Obedience to authority is necessary for the effective fight against the pandemic.
Government officials and medical personnel, however, need also to listen to others, particularly those who been proven experts on matters of government like former government officials. The help of highly regarded thinkers from the academe and media opinion-makers can also be helpful. Their suggestions can be factored in the plan of action of the government. One drastic need that government officials failed to see when ordering quarantines and limited travel was to allow the travel of the nurses and other medical personnel or provide them with means of travel for going to the hospitals or for responding to call for medical services in the homes.
After reading and listening to the pronouncements of the doctors and the government officials on the fight against the pandemic I listed them according to the following order or priorities:
1) Wash hands before preparing and eating food.
2) Wash hands regularly particularly after handling doors, knobs, escalators, etc…
3) Wear a mask in necessary interaction with people other than those you work with whom you know are not infected.
4) Avoid unnecessary interaction with people.
5) Limit traveling to what is urgent and necessary.
6) The priority in allowing travel would be the travel of doctors and nurses who provide medical services for the sick in the hospital or the homes.
7) The second need for travel that should be allowed would be to buy a supply of food for the home and to and to bring food from the farms, fish ports, etc….to the markets.
8) Arrange the needed time to travel in common according to the importance of the purpose of the travel like necessary seminars, meetings related to fighting the Coronavirus and other necessary work.
9) Social Distancing. Observe the distance recommended in necessary interaction with people outside the home or workplace.
10) Do at home whatever work you have been doing in your office.
11) Bring the necessary materials to work on at home including the equipment needed to use in the work as the office computer when necessary and have at home wi-fi so that you can transmit his/her work to the boss to others who need them.
12) Students to continue their studies according to the directions f their teachers via the internet
13) Plan your day at home in terms of work, prayer, recreation.
It may be helpful if our public officials will give other guidelines on what is necessary or unnecessary interaction among people.
The readers might want to make their own list or arrange this list according to their own order of priorities.
