[ANALYSIS] Post-pandemic strategy: Change in direction or just some lipstick? Malta’s national post pandemic strategy comes close to a state of the nation report identifying Malta’s strengths and vulnerabilities, exposed by COVID-19. But, beyond the platitudes, will it change the country’s direction? 8 July 2021, 7:52am by James Debono The disruption in daily life, accompanied by a decrease in traffic and a rediscovery of urban and natural landscapes ushered a period of reflection on where to go from here and which pandemic ‘takeaways’ we will be taking with us in the post-COVID age. The strategy unveiled last week by Minister Owen Bonnici captures this spirit of national introspection referring to the need to foster the social solidarity brought about by the pandemic, recalling how “how volunteers stepped in to deliver food and other essentials to those who were vulnerable, how young neighbours taught the elderly to use digital communication tools, and how restaurants teamed up to prepare meals for essential workers and those in need”.