This reality strikes like a powerful slap in the face. Get prepared world, life as we know it is over. Rich or poor, first or third world country, though scary, this is the blunt truth we all need to deal with.  Quoting the International Monetary Fund, our Minister of Finance made it clear;  there is no return to business as usual until 2024. Amid this global humanitarian and economic crisis, the worst since the Great Depression, one burning question stays up the headlines, when should we risk re-opening the economies?

David or Goliath, world leaders now all have to face the same dire situation. Heads or tails, their decisions will have an irrevocable impact on thousands and millions of peoples lives.  While setting up his task force, the American president, Donald Trump, admitted it, this decision of re-opening or not the American economy is  the hardest decision he ever had to make. Here in Mauritius, we won't escape this dilemma neither bearing in mind that over and above economic figures with a negative growth of 6,8% expected, lives are at stake.

Facing Covid-19, the Mauritian government is extending its help to workers through the wage assistance scheme and the self-employed assistance scheme to April, while at the same time making a special appeal to companies not to fire their employees. However, until when can we thrive through this economic deadlock without an increase in productivity across the board? Should the government at some point consider restricting this help to sectors and companies in need only?  As some sectors did not completely stop their operations, encouraging the work from home.

One factor influencing the urge of re-opening economies is indeed the unemployment rate already on the rise in certain countries with the shadow of redundancy running around in other countries including Mauritius. The United States for instance already accounts for "22 million unemployed since the national emergency" quotes the Washington Post, highlighting the devastating impact of this deadly virus on the national US treasury. Fear is that, with this sharp increase in the unemployment rate, there is no avoiding a surge in inequalities among communities. Matter of factly, governments will have loads on their plate to deal with as a social explosion is more and more inevitable.

The ray of light might be the possibility of slowly re-opening the economies by phase. The Mauritian Prime minister already announced that this measure might be implemented shall we get out of lockdown on the 4th of May. With 204 active cases, we might be set off guard and tempted to rush into a trial as the Covid-19 crisis seems to be more and more under control with no new cases lately.

Though it sounds less feasible, the US through its governors is also working on the by phase re-opening of activities despite the death toll already accounting to 35 500, increasing day by day. However, the issue is that no country is sheltered of the possibility of a resurgence of the Covid-19 despite strong measures.

China for instance praised for its strong measures in containing the spread of Covid-19 is now again under threat with new cases of contamination. So, figuring out when to re-open activities is difficult so as to avoid this second wave already afflicting some Asian countries.

If you thought that things cannot be worst, bear in mind that the dark times are still coming and we won't be able to stop them. However, there is hope that after the night will come the dawn and with it the light. Meanwhile, let us all bring our contribution by respecting lockdown measures and preserving jobs as far as possible. After all, we are all in this together. #Staysafe