Seated on the aisle in my church today practising my religious rituals I was looking back at the time when there were stringent restrictions for church worshippers. A year back only 10-30 members could attend the mass with social distancing being the norm.

What a time when we could not even catch up with patrons, family friends, and even ask how they were doing, no partying, dining in. Life for us was confined to Zoom meetings in rooms. We couldn’t even attend weddings, funerals go shopping with curfew, and lockdown in place.

Now, we rebel and shine together as one community, intone, gesture, and even shake hands. Whilst I walk down through the corridors I could hear many say oh! had been a long time since they meet because of the COVID with a huge smile on their face, clutching and chitchatting what’s happening in their life with racy kids screeching and running around.  

Wow with things back in place I am astounded to see a huge massive crowd from various walks of life near the church compound with the public wearing their masks. I guess it’s now your choice whether you want to wear it or not, so even if you asked to make it optional still there are many who would not resist. With temperatures rising it gets a little difficult to breathe with the masks on and with sweat dripping but we can loosen up a bit to some extent now that the rules are eased.

UAE has achieved what it had to in practising strict COVID protocol completing 100 per cent vaccination and immunisation which includes sanitisation in almost all areas. You have set up many tents just for the community to complete the vaccination dose and most importantly you have taken care of us and each of us was responsible for taking care of our individual safety and others. Thank you for all that you have done: it certainly shows hard work pays. I still remain clean with the use of hand sanitisers. I am back for some jingala.

Mathew Litty,
Dubai