{"id":229147,"date":"2025-03-14T06:06:12","date_gmt":"2025-03-14T10:06:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=229147"},"modified":"2025-03-14T06:27:28","modified_gmt":"2025-03-14T10:27:28","slug":"opinion-when-the-world-stood-still","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/opinion-when-the-world-stood-still\/","title":{"rendered":"FEATURE: When the World Stood Still"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Derrick Nicholas<\/strong><\/p>

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This month marks the 5th<\/sup> anniversary of a grim experience which brought the world to a standstill.  That event which threatened to bring the entire world to its knees was the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), a respiratory disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 as a global pandemic on 11th<\/sup> March, 2020, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda did not close its borders until 26th<\/sup> March, 2020.  The world first became aware of an outbreak of the disease in Wuhan, China on 31st<\/sup> December, 2019 as several cases of pneumonia with no known cause.  The disease later became known as COVID-19.<\/p>

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To understand the confusion and even the skepticism which surrounded the spread of this disease and the response of governments across the globe, it is important to study the timeline.  On 7th<\/sup> January, 2020 the WHO announced that they have identified a new virus named SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19.  WHO also said that it (virus) belongs to the coronavirus family.  Then, on 11th<\/sup> January, 2020 China announced the first death linked to COVID-19.<\/p>

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The days, weeks and months which followed were filled with the curtailment of rights and uncertainty.  Curfews were imposed which severely restricted the public\u2019s ability to move.  At the same time, uncertainty grew as we were not sure how long these conditionalities would remain in place, and how we would manage.  Persons were mandated to wear a mask which covered both the nostrils and mouth when in public.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the days became weeks, and the weeks became months depression and other conditions started to present in people who were trying their best to cope with the new \u2018normal\u2019.  We became suspicious of anyone who would dare cough in public.  We soon managed to adjust to the limited time we had to do banking, going to the supermarket and other every day chores.  Schools were closed and lectures moved online.  This presented several challenges as not all students had access to the Internet, or worse, had access to devices.<\/p>

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Then came a time when a \u2018vaccine\u2019 was developed, mainly by three pharmaceutical companies: Astra Zeneca<\/strong>, Moderna<\/strong>, and Pfizer<\/strong>.  (Other pharmaceutical companies later joined in the race to develop a vaccine).  The alarming thing is that governments across the world engaged these three companies to place huge orders, ostensibly for their population, and in the process indemnifying the pharmaceutical companies of any legal threat.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Antigua and Barbuda, people were brought before the Court to pay huge fines for not wearing masks, or for objecting to the \u2018vaccine\u2019 mandate.  The interesting thing is that people who are otherwise very astute, accepted the vaccine without question.  Of course, vaccines take 6-7 years before they come to market.  They have to be subjected to a series of trials and testing before they come to market.  The COVID-19 \u2018vaccine\u2019 was therefore brought to market and \u2018tested\u2019 on humans, with our government\u2019s full knowledge and cooperation.<\/p>

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We hope that there will never come a time again in the future, when citizens\u2019 rights would be curtailed, and the uncertainties which followed visited upon us again.<\/p>

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By Derrick Nicholas This month marks the 5th anniversary of a grim experience which brought the world to a standstill.  That event which threatened to bring the entire world to its knees was the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), a respiratory disease. 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