For all the reality that the protracted closure of the City Mall has created hardships for people who ply their trade inside the facility (the same can be said for other businesses across the country), not everyone will be particularly comforted by its sudden re-opening.

The re-opening the City Mall at this time has other equally weighty implications that have to do with the likely impact of such a decision on the behaviour of the COVID-19 pandemic in the period ahead.