Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1248303
A few weeks ago, I spoke with sev- eral supermarket employees who expressed their frustration that, while customers were emptying the shelves to stock up because of the coronavirus, they themselves were concerned that the shelves may be depleted by the time they received their next paycheck. Many have pointed out that COVID-19 does not discriminate on race, gender, age, or socioec- onomic status. Indeed, this has been evidenced by the United Kingdom's prime minister being hospitalised after testing positive for the virus. A person's over- all wellbeing is also influenced by economic factors, which are interlinked with social factors – for example, the extent to which someone was socially isolated pri- or to the pandemic, which in turn can affect one's physical health. We've seen videos from celebri- ties who attempt to compare their experience of being in lockdown with the general population, from the comfort of their million-dollar mansions, as well as the elite flee- ing to quarantine themselves on super-yachts. In the meantime, those individ- uals whom we refer to as 'heroes' working on the frontline – doc- tors, nurses, healthcare work- ers, as well as supermarket staff, delivery persons, and bus driv- ers – have been praised for their 'heroic' efforts. A great number of these people have been compared to soldiers being sent to fight a war against an invisible enemy, and yet they are frequently placed in a precarious position. They fear bringing the virus home to their loved ones, some lack the neces- sary personal protective equip- ment, and many are underpaid for the 'heroic' work with which they have been tasked. This disparity has shed a bright light onto the inequality which exists in our world. Online com- menters have wondered why doc- tors are paid comparably less than, for instance, professional athletes, the latter of which do not appear to have made nearly as substan- tial a contribution to the fight against a deadly pandemic. Mean- while, exhausted delivery drivers and shop assistants are working around the clock to make sure we have access to all the essentials we require to live comfortably, while they themselves struggle to make ends meet. The struggles experienced by essential workers – as well as others who do not have the luxury of working from home, or those who have become un- employed due to the epidemic – may also be compounded by the fact that a number of these individuals are at a greater risk of loneliness. One particularly rel- evant finding, from the Faculty for Social Wellbeing's national prevalence study of loneliness in the Maltese population, was that persons who consider their household income to be inad- equate are more likely to suffer from high levels of loneliness. The link between one's finan- cial circumstances and loneliness primarily stem from the inability to partake in leisure activities due to limited disposable income. After all, if someone is barely in a position to afford their basic necessities, then it would hard- ly seem likely that socialising is a possibility. There are many differing opinions regarding how best to tackle inequalities within a society, which makes it difficult to achieve unanimous agreement on the way forward. However, the data clearly show that societies with a smaller gap between the rich and poor tend to function better overall. An analysis in the Harvard Business Review in 2016 looked into the relationship between overall wellbeing and income in- equality in a number of nations. Their investigation revealed that people living in countries where the top 1% held a larger amount of the wealth were more likely to be less satisfied with their lives and more likely to have negative emotions on a daily basis. This means that income inequality is not simply an issue which af- fects those who struggle to make ends meet, but rather one that impacts all members of a society. With the above in mind, and with the current partial lock- down measures expected to be eased in the near future, perhaps this would be an opportune mo- ment to reflect on the society we would like to become once the pandemic is behind us. We have learnt a lot about the struggles that accompany social isolation, we have realised the value of many previously unsung heroes, and we have seen the immeasura- ble importance of a socially cohe- sive society - surely, it would be a missed opportunity to go back to business as usual, without taking action to build a better communi- ty for all. 15 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 MAY 2020 OPINION A pandemic of unequal proportions HAVE YOUR SAY (Phase 1) OPEN PUBLIC CONSULTATION Site at ex-Ħal Ferh tourist complex, l/o Mellieħa PLANNING AUTHORITY The Government has requested the Planning Authority to carry out a review of a planning policy which gives direction as to the provisions which establish the allowable land- uses on the site of the redundant Hal Ferh tourist complex and its immediate surrounding areas in Ghajn Tuffieha, Limits of Mellieha. The review seeks to amend policy NWGT 1 of the North West Local Plan and the Hal Ferh Development Brief. The purpose of this review is to includ e permanent resid ential D e v e l o p m e n t i n t h e l i s t o f acceptable land-uses on the site. The following proposed objective will guide the Authority in its review. To include Class 1 (Use Classes Order, 2014) permanent residential d e v e l o p m e n t i n t h e l i s t o f acceptable land-uses on the site provided that: (a) The primary land-use in terms of gross developable floor space ( G D F ) r e m a i n s t o u r i s m accommodati on but the brief shall also establish a balanced allowance for residential use; (b) No increase in the total GDF shall be allowed; (c)The development brief shall include planning parameters for residential use, to be developed in a comprehensive manner as part of the tourist complex; (d) All other provisions of policy NWGT 1 and the development brief shall remain unchanged w i t h o u t p r e j u d i c e t o t h e development already permitted in development permissions issued prior to the coming into fo r c e o f t h e r ev i s e d p o l i c y provisions. A site map of the area which is being considered as part of this review may be viewed on the Planning A u t h o r i t y ' s w e b s i t e www.pa.org.mt/consultation. Individuals and organisations are b e i n g i n v i t e d t o s e n d t h e i r s u bm i s s i o n s o n t h i s p r o p o s e d objective in writing through e-mail: nwlp.halferh@pa.org.mt Submissions are to be received by the Authority not later than 1st June 2020. www.pa.org.mt Partial review of the North West Local Plan (2006) & Ħal Ferħ Development Brief Jamie Bonnici Jamie Bonnici is research support officer, Faculty for Social Wellbeing University of Malta socialwellbeing@um.edu.mt