Judging from the atmosphere in the midst of the coronavirus lockdown, the population is in high spirits even though it is a partial relaxation of the movement control instructions.

The relaxation of the lockdown had been expected in the last few days after it became clear that there were no locally transmitted infections but new cases were mostly cross-border cargo truck drivers.

That, together with the enhanced contact-tracing and testing capabilities, gave the Government confidence to lift, albeit partially, the lockdown.

People can now get on with their business however at a smaller scale because of the social distancing measures. Market vendors will work in shifts, public transport will reopen but carry less number of passengers, and everyone going into public places will have to put on a mask.

While the spirits are high among some sections of the population, another is falling deeper into gloom. One private university has announced the cancelation of employment contracts until further notice because schools will only reopen in September.

The Government knows the plight private institutions are facing and has come up with something, however modest, but the latter should not just sit back with a begging bowl. They should be in position to play their part in helping to ease the situation.

The primary goal of institutions of higher learning – private or otherwise – is imparting knowledge, not posting impressive financial returns. The schools should be ready to sacrifice; they should be ready to ride out the storm even if it means getting soft loans from banks to cushion them for the next four months.

But simply throwing their arms up in the air and slamming the door on their loyal employees is the wrong way to deal with the COVID-19-related challenges.