The Incredible Leaders of the COVID-19 Pandemic By: Ca ssan dra van Dru n e n
“There’s a job to be done”- Jacinda Arden During the coronavirus pandemic, we have seen leaders, both political and medical, rise to the occasion to protect the citizens of their countries and the world. Many leaders globally, including New Zealand’s Janica Arden, America’s Jose Andres and Iran’s Shirin Rouhani, have each used and shown excellent strength and leadership throughout one of the most challenging years of the twenty-first century. I am honoured to share the stories of these incredible leaders and many more. When the world was preparing to fight the coronavirus, certain country leaders were ready and stepped up to protect the citizens of their nations. Jacinda Arden, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, was one of those leaders. In March, Arden was quick to close the country’s borders entirely, noting that all New Zealanders had to go into self-isolation if they had come into the country. She early on said they were going to make strict regulations and “make no apologies” for them. She acted fast as she realized the nation’s health system would be unable to function if a big outbreak were to occur. Along with scientific experts, she was able to help implement a four-stage alert system based on the existing wildfire alerts to indicate the current risk and the required social distancing practices. By effectively communicating with the public and taking insight from various experts, Arden was able to declare the pandemic over in June of 2020, reporting one of the lowest coronavirus mortality rates of 1 death per 204 360 people. Other political leaders who can be commended for their actions during this pandemic include Angela Merkel, a chancellor in Germany who stood up early to advocate to take the virus seriously and Katrin Jakobsdottir, Iceland’s THE OBSERVER
Prime Minister who developed free coronavirus testing for its citizens so they could facilitate the rate in which COVID-19 was spreading. On the front lines of the pandemic, doctors and nurses have shown exemplary dedication, commitment, and leadership, some losing their lives fighting. Ophthalmologist Li Wenliang from Wuhan Central Hospital in China was one of the first people to alert the public about the new virus that was emerging in the city. However noble his actions were, he was detained by Chinese authorities and forced to recant his warning. After release, Dr. Li continued to treat his patients, only to become infected and succumb to COVID-19 on February 17th of 2020. The Chinese government has since honoured him as a “martyr” and Fortune has named him one of 2020’s World’s Greatest Leaders. Also on this list is Dr. Shirin Rouhani, a physician from Iran. Even after being infected with COVID-19 herself, Dr. Rouhani continued to treat patients due to a severe shortage in medical staff up until her death. A photo of her connected to an IV drip while working went viral after her death, commending her bravery, strength, and leadership. These medical personnel along with many others globally were influential in leading global citizens through the pandemic, including Dr. Amy O’Sullivan of America, Dr. Kamran Khan of Canada, Dr. Maurizio Cecconi of Italy, and many more. Outside of both the political and medical landscapes, other community leaders have taken the charge to lead the public bodies through the struggles of the pandemic. Amongst these leaders is Jose Andres, a Spanish-American chef and restaurateur. Not only has he been providing food for those PAGE 20
