A step forward, two steps back

Some day we will get some good news. And we will be able to sit back and smile for a few minutes thinking that things may actually be taking a turn. But then, in the briefest of moments that we are allowed to take a breath, we realize that the good news was only the first part. This is followed by bad news, which usually makes things even worse than they were before we started.

One step forward and two steps back. This seems to be the mantra in the Philippines. Every time we think we are making progress or headway, things take a turn and bring us back even further than where we were to begin with. It’s sad because if we’re trapped in this never-ending vicious cycle, then things will really never change.

It’s officially been one-year, over 365 days since we first went into lockdown last March 2020. Those were very scary days. We didn’t know if we would be able to get enough food and supplies while staying indoors. We didn’t know if our jobs would survive the quarantine or if our businesses would be able to weather the storm. And most of all, we didn’t know if we would be able to stay healthy during the global health crisis.

But we resigned ourselves to do our part and entered into one of the longest lockdowns in the world. Countries of all sizes and economic standings suffered last year. Like many of them, we dipped to negative rates in the economy while the virus continued to rage across the country and increase in number.

But finally – around December-January – we saw a slight glimmer of hope. We had somewhat managed to keep cases from exploding. Our hospitals were able to manage without being overwhelmed. And most of all, the news of the vaccine was on everyone’s tongue. It seemed that while we had suffered greatly, things may actually finally be taking a turn.

However, that tiny speck of hope may have been premature. It’s one year later and instead of safely and cautiously opening up, we are once again shutting down. We’re back to strict restrictions and curfews as cases start to surge again. It’s really disheartening because it seems as if we have made no progress in the past 12 months. It makes the future look rather bleak.

Granted some things added to this recent surge. We knew that new strains of the virus have already been detected in the country, such as the strains from South Africa and the UK. We would have hoped that containment on these would have been much better considering how much faster they spread. However, the arrival of these strains has also been coupled with quarantine fatigue and it really was a cocktail for potential disaster.

It’s no one’s fault that they are tired of being stuck at home. From a mental health perspective, this is completely understandable. We weren’t meant for this much isolation and so many people have suffered from anxiety and depression and needed to get some fresh air or see loved ones (hopefully from a safe distance and masked up).

However, despite our exhaustion and need to put our lives back together, we still have to remember that unlike other countries that have turned the tide, we are still right in the thick of it. Ironically, these new strict restrictions have come on the heels of the arrival of vaccines in the country. Perhaps this has contributed to people feeling more confident? Whatever the case. we need to remember, this is far from over.

Vaccines need to be rolled out at a much faster rate if we want any hope of turning the tide in 2021. If we keep going on the way we have been, another year is going to pass and we won’t have moved forward at all.

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In the United States, an alarming new wave of racist attacks has been slowly growing. We’ve seen it in the news and on social media, and I’ve discussed it with friends and family living abroad. There is now a growing number of violent physical and verbal hate crimes against Asian-Americans, especially the elderly Asian-Americans.

It’s really quite distressing, but is finally getting the attention it needs. We all know about the case of Fil-Am Noel Quintana who was slashed on the subway, as well as Juanito Falcon in Phoenix, Arizona who was ruthlessly punched in the face while going for a walk. He died two days later. Fortunately, he managed to give information to the authorities and his killer, Marcus Williams, was arrested.

I was worried this would escalate. Ever since the pandemic, there has been projected hate against the Asian community. It’s not just the Chinese either, but everyone from Asia regardless of where they are from. While Trump would have just dismissed this outright, and would likely have even made some inappropriate remarks at the very least, current President Joe Biden has acknowledged the problem and spoken out against the attacks.

However, will this condemnation be enough? I hope I am wrong, but I have a bad feeling that this is going to get worse before it gets better. I worry for friends and family abroad who may be targeted simply because of their name or how they look. Let’s all remain vigilant. Things are bad enough in the world without us turning on each other.