In today’s post I want to offer my own personal thanks to some of the unsung heroes of the current situation with the corona-virus pandemic: the local shopkeepers of Birgu.
Typically when we think of heroes we think of those who have shown bravery or leadership in times of war or other violent struggle. In 1565, for example, there was Grand Master de Valette, who led the Order of St. John against the Ottomans during the Great Siege. A determined and often ruthless leader, he has a street named after him, and a statue stands in the main square commemorating the lifting of the Siege and the holding of Malta against the enemy.
More recent examples include Wenzu Dyer, one of the four protesters killed by British Armed Forces in the 1919 Bread Riots; and the local priests who worked incessantly to support the beleaguered residents of the city during World War Two.
In these difficult times, however, we no longer chose our heroes from those people who excel in times of war. Indeed, national leaders who have tried to put their countries on a war footing in relation to the corona-virus pandemic, such as Donald Trump in the US or Boris Johnson in the UK, are now routinely criticised and derided for their failure to act in an appropriate and timely fashion. Instead, when we think of the heroes of the hour we turn to health care workers.
This sign, prominently displayed overlooking the main square in Birgu, reads “Thanks from the heart to doctors, nurses and paramedics”. We should go further: heroic strategic leadership is being provided on a daily basis by Health Minister Chris Fearne and Prof. Charmaine Gauci, Malta’s Superintendent of Public Health. Together they have developed a policy towards the virus that is science-led, and which has contained the spread the infection so that the number of active cases has remained relatively low, and the health service here has not been overwhelmed. Indeed, yesterday no new cases were recorded in Malta for the first time since the pandemic hit the islands.
More locally, in Birgu much health-care takes place at the Vittoriosa Pharmacy, which brings me to my unsung heroes of this pandemic: our local shopkeepers and suppliers. Greengrocery vans and the Big Buns bread van visit the city every morning, and we have a plethora of shopkeepers that allow us to stay close to home while still being able to get what we need: Ruth and her colleagues at The Fort; Rita the greengrocer on the corner of the square; and Tommy’s and Old Tommy’s, each of which may or may not be run by men called Tommy.
There are also the Malaya Stores and three or four other shops on Triq il-Mina l-Kbira; Mirabella’s shop in the little three-outlet arcade on Triq Desain; and Terence the butcher. Undoubtedly there are others that I have forgotten or never visited: I’d be grateful if readers would add places I have missed in the comments.
More touristy outlets such as the Gemstone shop and Birgu Blue have been forced to close, although the latter still offers home delivery of consumables. Other non-food shops, however, continue to serve the local community and between them stock everything from toiletries to kitchen equipment, outdoor furniture and DIY essentials: shops like Franka Lira and the Mifsud Ironmongery. Equally eclectic is the stock of George the Sub-postmaster, who sells everything from stationery to electrical goods, and greets all of my more off the wall requests with “Sorry, I don’t have that right now, but if you come back tomorrow at 4.30pm, I’ll get you one”.
All of these shops are carefully following the ‘rules’ for living through the pandemic. People in the queue at the vegetable van maintain good physical distance from each other. Many shops have counters at their doorways, customers being served by the owners rather than going in to pick items from shelves by themselves. Others have limited the number that can enter to one or two at a time. Still more display guidelines about how to stay safe and well during the pandemic.
In Birgu, it is likely that the majority of the population have not gone beyond the walls of the city during this entire period of isolation, so local shops could potentially pose a major risk of contamination. The combination of deliveries from outside the city and a high turnover of local customers could create hubs of cross-infection, although visiting bigger supermarkets would likely be far more risky. It is a testament to the vigilance of our local shopkeepers that so far there have been no cases of corona-virus infection recorded in Birgu.
So for me, along with street cleaners and rubbish collectors, those of you who run our local shops are the new heroes of Birgu. You are keeping us supplied with our basic needs and at the same time doing everything you can to minimise contamination. We owe you a lot, perhaps more than we recognise.
So, shopkeepers of Birgu – I thank you.