Dear Sir,

With the Covid-19 situation having become worse, I'm sure many have expressed the thought of closing the airport to passenger traffic. Assured there is also an immediate counter consideration: “Well, what about the economy and what about the airport and the millions we have to pay out anyway?”

Bermuda is a small and relatively close-knit society. Once there is social spread, it is hard to predict where the virus is effective. It’s a one shot to get it right or live in regret for ever.

They say at the maximum the incubation period for Covid is 14 days. Therefore, three weeks of airport closure would allow the country to wrap its forces around the existing exposures. We may need a strict restriction on movement for a short period to arrest the possibility of spread.

On the economic front, I am not aware if the Government of Bermuda has considered approaching the Government of Canada to ask for a cessation of the Canadian Commercial Corporation debt payments. We would need to go direct to the leader, Justin Trudeau, over the heads of CCC, who are comparable to our West End Development Corporation in the scheme of arrangements.

Suspending debt for a few months would not hurt Canada, but would be definitely beneficial to Bermuda. There is nothing wrong with asking; there should be always compassionate relationships between governments.

KHALID WASI

Southampton