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14 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 14 JUNE 2020 CORONAVIRUS CRISIS Malta's response to COVID-19 was one of the most effective, held by the WHO as the standard in health strategies, but also aided by its small, city-state population, a strong rallying call for unity, and economic fundamentals in place Politics • Rallying behind the leader IN a time of crisis people tend to look up to their leaders to offer them a sense of security. A previous MaltaToday sur- vey showed Abela getting a record trust rating of 62% in April. The latest surveys showed Labour in government surpassing the 51% mark in absolute terms (without excluding don't knows and non-voters). The government reaped the fruits of an effective health strategy, which has not only contained infection rates but also paved the way for an incremental lifting of measures. Reality vindicated the gov- ernment's choice not to go for a total lockdown as initially proposed by the Op- position, which at first was shooting from the hip before rallying behind a national consensus informed by expert opinion. But the successful health strategy comes as a mixed blessing for Robert Abela, as he now finds himself having to contend with Chris Fearne, a widely trusted Depu- ty Prime Minister whose health portfolio catapulted him back to the national stage. And while Fearne and Abela were in the same boat when it comes to the imposi- tion and lifting of measures, Fearne came out as more statesmanlike and cautious, while Abela seemed more prone to Trum- pian gaffes in his eagerness for a return to normality. Fearne's handling of the coronavirus cri- sis has earned him top marks across the board with 91.4% giving him a high score in a MaltaToday survey. The deputy PM received high marks from Nationalist and Labourite voters alike – 86.2% of PN vot- ers gave Fearne a high score and 96.4% of PL voters did likewise. Yet Abela's more optimistic tone may have struck a chord not just with business lobbies but also with a working-class constituency which, unsheltered by domestic comforts, was just as eager to return back to normality in its daily struggle to make ends meet. Moreover, the attempt to score political points by pushing the migration button has returned to haunt Abela following the Captain Morgan fiasco. Abela showed certain subservience to strong lobbies like the hunters by opening the season right in the middle of the health crisis. The lockdown of the courts even shielded the government from damning evidence from the middlemen's testimony and re- cordings in the Daphne Caruana Galizia assassination case. But the return to normality also means Abela is expected to deliver on police re- forms which clear the way for an investi- gation on key political figures of the Mus- cat era. Failure could spur a new wave of protests and inevitably raise questions in international circles, where Malta's repu- tation has nose-dived again from the bad faith diplomacy of the Captain Morgan stand-off. Abela has still maintained a feel-good factor with a stimulus budget aimed at restoring consumer spending, albeit one too focused on restoring business con- fidence than addressing inequality. The rush for a quick recovery could expose contradictions within Labour on land use issues. It's a gamble on a quick recov- ery but which may hit a snag if a second COVID-19 wave does hit Malta. If this does happen, his inane comment of only seeing waves in the sea will come back to haunt him. Health • A nation's pride MALTA'S national health system, a product of Dom Mintoff's brand of so- cialism and the introduction of national insurance in the 1970s, was resilient and effective in containing the fight-back against the virus, also thanks to the sac- rifices of front-liners and a large number of foreign nurses and health workers. The healthcare system benefitted from the fi- nancial surplus which permitted govern- ment to boost health expenditure by €30 million, which ensured increased invest- ment in valuable equipment like ventila- tors, something which may come handy if there is a second wave. On a global level, the response to the pandemic vindicated the wisdom of having a nationalised, tax-funded health system like Malta's, which are not dominated by profit logic, some- thing that contrasted with the messier response in countries with privatised health systems like the USA. Had the pandemic not been effectively con- tained, the only hiccup would have been the privatisation of valuable hos- pital space at St Luke's. The pandemic is likely to arrest pub- lic-private partnerships which were 100 days later The health crisis catapulted Public Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci (left) to the national stage. She distinguished herself as the reassuring face of Malta's front-line health defence. Below: Michael Borg, head of the Infectious Diseases Unit, was part of a cadre of health experts in whom the nation had full faith Opposite: What a well-behaved lot... people wearing face visors, and photos from the soft lockdown, an empty Valletta and plastic sheeting on public furniture